Undamming a river, rebuilding a forest | WILD HOPE

Ten years after the largest dam removal in history—on the Elwha River, in Washington State—scientists are chronicling an inspiring story of ecological rebirth. Recovering salmon populations are transferring critical nutrients from the ocean into the forests along the Elwha’s banks, enriching the entire ecosystem. The Elwha’s revival is encouraging advocates to push for the removal of many larger dams in the region, and in the rest of the world.

Learn more about this story and ways that YOU can get involved in saving your local biodiversity by becoming a Wild Hoper:

Share this with a friend!

[Pbavtor]

I live in Shelton 90 miles south of the Elwah. My county took out our small dam on Goldsborough Creek. This is no small undertaking. The habitat needs to be rebuilt. Many trees and native plants planted and replanted until they are well established. It was pretty ugly for awhile, but now I can walk a couple miles from my home and find wildwater; the best kind. I was honored to help with the restoration of Nalley Island on the Skokomish Land. Volunteers can really help make a big project smaller.

[jackbodenmann]

Progress is measured in many ways. Some consider the building of dams to be progress. Some consider their removal as progress. It fills my heart with joy to see these rivers, restored. To see the hard work of the lovers of nature, the salmon, the forests, and the wildlife thriving is wonderful.
Jack

[dominiquesmith]

The most hopeful thing I have seen on the internet in a long time.

[StopWhining]

Congratulations on winning a hard-fought battle. Your people deserve to have your way of life restored.

[CoopMauKona]

I've been to this place many times before and after the dam removal. I'd recommend people who visit Seattle make it a point to visit the area above the removed dams. It's amazing how quickly it's reclaimed itself.

[Unsolicitedbias]

Then the reintroduction of Beaver into the smaller streams and tributaries will help hold water and build up the steady state watershed. It's such a great thing to see the region return to it's past health.

[maureenbeckstead]

Was forest biologist forOlympic National Forest during fight to remove dam. Sooo happy to see this marvelous portrait of habitat rejuvenation. Awesome opportunity for intensive monitoring to spur future dam removals.

[heels_on_fire]

congratz to the ELwah tribe finally having their river back

[traildude]

I was reminded of a grad student I knew at Oregon State who was working to sequence the DNA of salmon in all the rivers that flow from the Coast Range. He was involved over an argument between fishermen and conservationists: in a river that was being restored the fishermen wanted salmon brought in from hatcheries to repopulate rapidly while the conservationists wanted the native salmon to repopulate naturally. His work showed just how genetically distinct the populations in different streams were, including all the tributary streams, which enabled the wildlife people to start a program of the different hatcheries propagating not just whatever population they could easily get eggs from but keeping the offspring from each stream separate and always taken back to the stream they came from.

[pacificnorthwestgirl]

Very inspiring! I'm hopeful that after the four dams on the Klamath River are removed the benefits will be positive as well. Next hopefully are the dams along the lower Snake River.

[dwaynekoblitz]

I've been following this story since the beginning. It is so awe inspiring to see all of the changes! Undaming the Snake River would be a miracle!!

[franklinfrankerson]

This is a great video on the importance of removing old technology that disrupted nature. Working with nature instead of against it is the only way humanity can continue to grow. The narrator is excellent, very smooth voice.

[theck]

Thank you for featuring this important change.

[petersterling]

Thanks to the People who Fought to Remove the Dam and allow the River to Heal and Flow once more!!

[darongw]

Love seeing how much it has changed. I was out there a couple years after the dams were removed and it's fantastic to see how much it has changed and grown!

[NeeNee]

I lived on the Oregon/Idaho border, where the snake river was the dividing line between the two states. As an Oregon resident the Salmon and Steelhead fishing was closed due to low returns, however Idaho kept the Salmon and Steelhead fishing season open due to their right to fish those fish regardless of the fish numbers decline. These efforts to take down the dams are the first step to restore the fisheries in the areas. The next step is to get All of the states to act as one in restoration. Washington state and Oregon state, and parts of California can't be the only ones to take the restorations seriously. Idaho also needs to be on board and restrict the fishing of these fish in order to fully restore the fisheries.

[IbexWatcher]

So inspiring! I used to work on the Salmon River in Idaho, which is part of the Columbia River drainage. There's a salmon restoration project underway there too, and I hope the dam removals downstream come to pass so Idaho can become truly rich in nutrients and fish again!

[lag]

Having the insight to do the right thing is refreshing and gives all Americans hope for a healthier future...

[jacobv]

Really amazing to see the rapid change to the river and the benefits brought to the wildlife! And it's great to see my backyard being shown here.

[garykliewer]

I'm closely tracking the Klamath dams removal near me; this video is the most inspiring thing I've seen. Thank you!