"The largest dam removal project in U.S. history began in September, marking a victory for a campaign that spanned more than two decades.

The Elwha Dam, built in 1914, and the Glines Canyon Dam, built in 1925, stretch across the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. They were constructed without fish ladders, blocking migratory fish from spawning. The river's salmon runs, once consisting of more than 400,000 fish, are now fewer than 4,000, and its subspecies of Chinook, steelhead, and bull trout are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The dams were built across territory belonging to the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, which had fished the Elwha for generations. The tribe fought for dam removal from the beginning, and was joined in its efforts in the mid-1980s by conservation groups including the Seattle Audubon Society, Friends of the Earth, Olympic Park Associates, and the Sierra Club."

Get the Story:
Hope for Salmon as Dams Come Down (Alternet 1/4)

Related Stories:
HCN Blog: Fish fight brews with removal of Elwha River dams (10/03)
National Parks: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe hails dam removal (09/30)
National Parks: Webcam offers a view of historic dam removal (9/26)
Editorial: Removal of dams a step towards return of Elwha River (9/19)
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe praises start of dam breaching work (09/15)
National Parks: Secretary Salazar to celebrate removal of dam (9/14)
Blog: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe's hatchery threatens salmon (9/13)
Lower Elwha Klallam to auction items from removal of dams (9/8)
EnergyBiz: Dam breaching benefits Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (9/7)
KLCC: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe restoring salmon at hatchery (8/24)
Blog: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe holds ceremony for First Salmon (8/22)
OPB: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe keeps an eye on health of rivers (8/17)
Opinion: Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe could hurt salmon recovery (8/3)
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe welcomes dam removal for salmon (7/29)