Cascading for 45 miles from glaciers in the Olympic Mountains to the salt water of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Elwha River ecosystem is rich with history, lessons in science, and habitat for a diverse web of life.  Before 1910, the river ran unobstructed with nutrients, gravel and wood flowing downstream and providing prime conditions for all five species of salmon. 

The Elwha Dam was completed in 1913, providing power to the growing town of Port Angeles, but restricting spawning salmon to the lower 5 miles for reproduction.  The second dam (Glines Canyon Dam) was finished in 1927, causing gravel, nutrients, and wood which used to feed and shelter salmon to be strained out of the lower river (see before and after photos below).

                                The valley before the dam

                    Mills Lake created by Glines Canyon Dam

As the dams blocked these upstream and downstream processes, the salmon population drastically declined.  Today only 1% of the historic salmon population on the Elwha survives in the river.  By removing the dams, salmon will regain access to over 70 miles of their original habitat and the lower river and shoreline will receive the missing nutrients, gravel and wood to support the ecosystem.

Read about OPI's Elwha Science Education Project

Continue to Explore the Elwha