Restoring a River and Community

With two dams placed into the cold, glacial fed Elwha River, salmon were blocked on their upstream migration and spawning gravel has been blocked on the river's downstream migration.  As 14 million cubic yards of sediment sit behind the upper of two dams, only 1% of the historic Elwha salmon runs sit below the lower dam, due to the dramatic changes in their habitat.   Around 2012 the dams will be removed, allowing salmon to reconnect with over 70 miles of blocked habitat, and allowing us to ....Read the full restoration introduction.

Visualize Dam Removal and a Restored River

See the deconstruction of the Glines Canyon and Elwha Dam, through these amazing flash animations.  Watch the dams come down and the forests return.  There are also 2 interesting animations on the river's food web and nutrient cycles.

American Rivers has created visualizations that depict the Elwha valley before, during, and after the dams. We have extracted a series of movies and animations from the model landscape to help illustrate how the reservoirs will drain, how vegetation will return, and the Elwha River will be restored.

Support a School's Field Trip to the Elwha

Your contribution to Olympic Park Institue will help provide students with the opportunity to participate in our life-changing programs in inspiring outdoor classrooms. Over 30% of our students receive scholarship assistance.  Donate today.

Volunteer on the Beach and River

With the help of a camera, join Surfrider Foundation for monitoring changes along the shoreline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  As the river flows downstream carrying sand, silt and gravel, much of it is deposited on along the way on sand bars and beaches.  Read More...