Elwha River

 

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Elwha_river_dams.gif

 

 

https://bethechange2012.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/elwhariver.png

October 2014: Elwha River
The Elwha River is a 45-mile river on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. The rivers main source of water comes from Elwha Snowfinger near Mount Barnes which is a mountain range in Olympic National Park, in Jefferson County. The river flows southeast and the turns northward for the rest of its course.
Reasons for Building Elwha Dam
Thomas Aldwell, an entrepreneur saw the river as an economic opportunity; the river and its narrow gorges. He simply wanted to capture this raw, massive energy. This is how the idea of a hydroelectric dam came into play. Aldwell had financial backing from Chicago Investors, who created the Olympic Power Company. After plans were created construction of the dam began in 1910 and took three years to construct before it was creating energy. In 1913 the dam was the source of power for the pulp mill in Port Angeles.
Reasons for Removing Elwha Dam
The Elwha dam presented many problems for the surrounding area. Things like sediment and silt blockage behind the dam, erosion of the river banks and effects on a large portion of the park and the people who once relied on the fish populations for sustenance. Elwha river was known for some of richest runs of salmon outside of Alaska. Because Aldwell cut corners on the dam there was a lack of passage ways for migrating salmon. The salmon that once numbered more than 400,000 fish returns in over 70 miles of available habitat is now less than 4,000 fish on only 4.9 miles. The removal of the dam is the only viable option for full restoration of the river and the habitat.
 Ecology
Two special animals of the Elwha River are the Sockeye Salmon and the Bull Trout. The Sockeye Salmon are currently thought to be extinct in the Elwha.
Current Use
Today both dams are gone and the Lake Mills and Lake Aldwell reservoirs have drained. The river flows freely now. The sediment that was once trapped behind the dams is now rebuilding critical river and near shore habitats.
Current Threats
Through my research I could not find any current threat in regards to the Elwha River. Most of the threats were caused when the dam was in place.