History of The Elwha Fishery
At its peak, the Elwha supported spawning runs of Chinook, Coho, Chum, Pink, and Sockeye Salmon as well as Steelhead, Cutthroat, and Bull Trout. The Chinook were known to reach sizes of 45 kg. Sockeye, Chinook, Chum, and Pink Salmon are all currently thought to be extinct or nearly extinct in the Elwha. Leaving one or both of the dams in place, even with modern fish passage systems, would not result in a dramatic recovery of species due to other factors like water temperature, gravel beds, etc. which would still have negative effects on the fish species (see Table 1). The most valuable spawning habitats are located far upstream from the Glines Canyon dam, so it still acts as a major barrier to the recovery of the runs. Removal of the dams is thus considered the only viable option for full restoration of the river and habitat.
Read more about this topic: Elwha Dam
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