The Elwha River was once one of the most productive salmon streams in the Pacific Northwest, home to all five species of Pacific salmon, as well as other fish species. But salmon have been blocked from all but the lowest five miles of the river since the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams were built in the the early 1900s. More about salmon and other anadromous fish in Olympic waters.
Removal of the two dams will restore the Elwha River to its natural, free-flowing state and will once again allow fish access to over 70 river miles of habitat now protected within Olympic National Park. And once the dams are removed and the river restored, the river will produce historic levels of salmon and steelhead, with numbers exceeding 390,000 adult fish. More about Elwha fish restoration plans.
Dam removal will begin after water quality protection facilities are complete.
