The Elwha River used to be home to some of the biggest and most diverse salmon runs in the state. In the late 1700s, salmon as large as 100 pounds were common. The Elwha River was one of a handful of rivers in the contiguous United States that supported all of the native types of Pacific Northwest anadromous salmon (that is, salmon that migrate from the sea to spawn in fresh water) (Wunderlich 1994). However, since the early 1900s two hydroelectric dams on the river have blocked more than 90 percent of the salmon from returning upriver to spawn (Cultural Advisory Committee 2003). As a result of the 1992 Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act, a restoration project is underway and the dams will be removed in the near future.
The Olympic Power Company began construction on the first dam, the 108-foot Elwha Dam, in 1910 and the dam was completed by 1914 (forming the Lake Aldwell reservoir). In 1912, the dam experienced a blowout and flooded the area downstream where many Klallam families lived. No one was injured, but there was extensive property damage (Cultural Advisory Committee 2003). The blowout was patched with an ad hoc assortment of dirt, rocks, and fir boughs and then covered with a layer of concrete--a method that would later bring the dam’s structural safety into question (Oakes). In 1910, state law required that the dam be built with fish ladders. However, the project owner, Thomas Aldwell, circumvented the law by building a hatchery instead. The hatchery was short-lived: it closed in 1922, seven years after opening (Wunderlich 1994).
The second dam was constructed by Northwestern Power and Light Company between 1925 and 1927 (Oakes). The 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam is located upriver of the Elwha Dam and its construction created the Lake Mills reservoir. Like the Elwha Dam, the Glines Canyon Dam was constructed without any provisions for fish passage. In recent years, the dams have provided 40 percent of the power used at a Port Angeles paper mill (Wunderlich 1994).
| “The River is a sacred river. It is like somebody’s church. It is sacred because that is where we were created, and it is also sacred because that is where people went to go on their vision quest. They went there to bathe and fast and mediate and pray.” --Jamie Valadez |
"And we cherished it, and we respected it....We didn't waste it, we used every bit of it....I may not see the abundance of fish come back in my lifetime, but I would like to see it come back for my grandchildren, my great grandchildren, and the rest of my people, the following generations to come. It was a gift from our Creator, it was our culture and heritage." --Elder, Beatrice Charles
The Tribe has been negatively impacted by the dams since they were created. The reduction in fish coming upriver was a significant loss for the Tribe--as both a source of food and income. Under the Treaty of Point No Point, the Tribe should have retained access to these traditional fishing sites on the Elwha River (Cultural Advisory Committee 2003). Additionally, the construction of the dams left sacred and historical tribal sites underwater, such as the creation site of the Klallam people (which was flooded by the construction of the Elwha Dam) (Wray 1997).
"It's not just about taking the dams out, or even just putting the fish back. It's about the whole picture, the human population, marine predators, overfishing, the works. If the system is addressed, then maybe restoration will work." --George Bolstrom, Elwha Elder
After an assessment process, the dams were acquired by the federal government in 2000 for $29.5 million (Cultural Advisory Committee 2003). Both dams will be removed in the near future (current plans call for removal to begin between 2010 and 2012). Plans for removing the dams and restoring the river are currently in development.
Most of the Elwha River lies within the boundaries of the Olympic National Park, which was created in 1938. This protected position has helped preserve the water quality of the river. The pristine condition of the water is a big asset for the restoration project (although the dams have caused significant problems with sediment and habitat loss) (Wunderlich 1994). With the dams removed, some estimates place returning salmon at 392,000 within 30 years (as opposed to the 3,000 to 4,000 that returned in 1998) (Cultural Advisory Committee 2003). Though the numbers sound promising, the 100-pound Spring Chinook salmon may have existed as a separate run, and is extinct. Other species, such as chum and pink, have very low numbers, but since they do still exist in nearby rivers and streams, there is a possibility of repopulation in the Elwha River.
**To look at updates and more information on the Elwha River Restoration, go to the Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Page of the National Park Service at http://www.nps.gov/olym/naturescience/elwha-ecosystem-restoration.htm