The Elwha River and Restoration Ecology

(The Elwha River derives its name from a S'Klallam Indian word for "elk." (Washington State Place Names, 1971)

Introduction

• The Elwha River is on the Olympic Peninsula as shown here on the river basin map from the U.S. Geological Survey. See also the Washington State river basins map, also from the USGS.

• Historically one of the only U.S. rivers to support all anadromous salmonids in the Pacific Northwest. Known for very large (up to 100 punds) chinook salmon.

• Elwha Dam was completed in 1912. Glines Canyon Dam was completed in 1927. Together they generate hydroelectric power needed for a nearby paper mill. Neither dam was built with fish passage facilities.

• After 80 years and severe habitat restriction, the effects on anadromous fish include the extinction of Elwha River sockeye salmon, possible extinction of spring chinook and sockeye salmon, and depressed rns of summer steelhead and sea-run cuthroat.

  Habitat Effects

• Lack of gravel for spawning (dowsntream gravel movement halted)
• Water temperature increase due to storage in reservoirs (caises disease in fish)

  Federal government actions

• Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act (Public Law 102-495): U.S. Congress passed law in 1992 authorizing Dept. of Interior to acquire dams and conduct an EIS to determine best course of action for restoring anadromous fish runs.
• Final EIS published in November 1996; removal of both Elwha and Glines Canyon dams recommended.
• Congress has begun to set aside the $29 million to buy the dams and land. Total cost for restoration now estimated at $113 million.
• Washington State delegation divided on this issue. Senator Gorton has proposed legislaton linking the Elwha River project to actions that may be taken on the Federal dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
• Negotiations continue between Secretary Babbitt and Senator Gorton.

  Primary goals of restoration process

• Complete dam removal.

• Sediment management: eliminate 80 years build-up of reservoirs sediment and allow lower river to gain coarse sediment for spawning purposes.

• Provide unobstructed adult and juvenile fish passage.

• Ecosystem restoration equated with both recovery of "natural physical processes" and the "native biological populations." The physical processes include sediment and nutrient transport, hydrology, and temperature regimens. Also, recovery of inundated habitat. Juvenile outplanting and natural recolonization would both be utilized to re-build fish populations.

• Long-term evaluation planned; baseline measurements now being made of water quality, populations, sediment levels, wildlife use, etc. The groups involved are Federal agencies and the Elwha S'Klallam Tribe.

  Expected benefits

• Fish returns year-round and much larger numbers of fish.
• Fish carcasses would add to the food supply for birds and mammals, thus increasing wildlife numbers.
• Sport fishing opportunities would increase.
• Optiminal use of the entire watershed.

  Concerns

• If the Elwha dams are taken down, what does that mean for the Columbia and Snake River dams? Many benefits to the Pacific Northwest accrue from these structures, as well as costs.

• Scope of the project is large and complex.

  Bibliography

  1. Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration Implementation; Final Environmental Impact Statement, November 1996 Olympic National Park, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, 1996, 281 pp.

  2. Heralding a new era, Babbit chips away at harmful river dams, New York Times, July 15, 1998.

  3. Puzey, Kim B., "Talk of destroying dams hurts region," Seattle Times, July 2, 1998.

  4. Salmon Ecosystem Restoration: Myth and Reality Proceedings of the 1994 Northeast Pacific Chinook and Coho Salmon Workshop, Keefe, Mary Louise, editor. Sponsored by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other. Corvallis, OR : Oregon Chapter, American Fisheries Society, 1994.

  5. "Rep. White seeks to broker agreement to raze Elwha dams," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, July 21, 1998.

  6. Winter, Brian. "Dam removal awaited at Olympic," Natural Resource Year in Review, Chapter 5, Restoration 1996.

  7. Winter, Brian. "A new twist in the Elwha River ecosystem restoration," Natural Resource Year in Review, Chapter 5, Restoration 1997.

  8. Wunderlich, Robert C., Winter, Brian D., Meyer, John H. "Restoration of the Elwha River Ecosystem," Fisheries 19(8), 1994, pp.11-19.

  9. Wunderlich, Robert C., Winter, Brian D., Meyer, John H. "Restoration of the Elwha River Ecosystem and Anadromous Fisheries," Salmon Ecosystem Restoration: Myth and Reality. Proceedings of the 1994 Northeast Pacific Chinook and Coho Salmon Workshop. Edited by Mary Louise Keefe. Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon Chapter, American Fisheries Society, 1994.