Elwha Ecosystem Restoration - The Decision To Remove The Dams

The Decision To Remove The Dams

The combined power output of these dams generates approximately 19 mega-watt hours annually, a figure roughly equivalent to 38% of the electricity necessary to operate the Nippon Paper mill in Port Angeles. The dams have blocked and nearly eliminated the once enormous runs of salmon in the river and their nutrients into Olympic National Park. The sediment no longer makes it to the sea, resulting in erosional problems on the shore. The Elwha Dam is about a century old and still has never been secured to the bedrock, resulting in a potential danger to downstream communities. These are some of the arguments used in favor of removing the dams.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe have sought the removal of the two dams since they were built. In 1968 the owner of the dams, Crown Zellerbach Corporation, applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for a license for Elwha Dam, and in 1973 applied to renew the license for Glines Canyon Dam. The Tribe opposed both applications, intervening before FERC. The environmental community got involved. By the 1980s there were twelve conservation groups opposing the relicensing process, including Olympic Park Associates, Seattle Audubon Society, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and American Rivers.

A series of political battles occurred locally and in Washington D.C., particularly with Senator Slade Gorton blocking the project, while Senator Brock Adams strongly supported the plan. Final approval came with the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992, which authorized the Secretary of the Interior to acquire and remove two dams on the river and restore the ecosystem and native anadromous fisheries. However, Senator Gorton continued to block and delay the process. By 2000 Gorton retreated, allowing the dams to finally be purchased.

In 1987 the dams, and all the assets of Crown Zellerbach, were acquired by the James River Corporation, which owned the dams until 2000. The corporation, concerned that it might someday be required to remove the dams and pay for river restoration, sought to transfer the dams to the federal government. In February 2000, the government bought the dams and related facilities for $29.5 million. Until removal, the dams have been operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, with National Park Service oversight.

When the federal government purchased the dams in 2000 the James River Corporation was freed from any further liability related to the damage caused by the dams in the past or potentially in the future.