The Elwha Dam in Washington in September 2011, before removal. Photo by Ben Cody via Wikipedia

More water, more salmon and even more dirt are some of the benefits being seen by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe of Washington and the federal government following the removal of two dams.

After nearly 100 years of operation, the Elwha Dam came down in 2012. The Glines Canyon Dam, which ran for 87 years, was removed two years later.

The tribe immediately saw benefits. Just a few months after the first dam was breached, salmon started returning to areas of the Elwha River where they hadn't been seen in more than a century.

The same area in May 2013, after the removal of the Elwha Dam. Photo by Zandcee via Wikipedia

Beaches also have been created from sediment that was being held behind both dams. Some 5 million cubic yards of sand have returned to the river, The New York Times reported.

“Walking on this new land form that extends hundreds of meters toward the sea and changes every day — it’s fantastic,” Jonathan Warrick of the U.S. Geological Survey told the paper. “It blows your mind.”

The removal of the Elwha Dam was the largest project of its kind in U.S. history, according to the National Park Service.

Get the Story:
When Dams Come Down, Salmon and Sand Can Prosper (The New York Times 8/11)

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