USA: Dam removal spurs the return of salmon, and a local tribe's hopes of sustainable fishing
Frozen Whole Pacific Salmon
Published Mar 26, 2024
Tridge summary
The Elwha River on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula has witnessed a remarkable environmental success story with the removal of two dams that had obstructed salmon runs for nearly a century, leading to the significant recovery of salmon populations. This achievement was celebrated by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT) with the opening of a ceremonial and subsistence Coho salmon fishery in October 2023, marking a hopeful turn for the future of salmon in the Pacific Northwest. The restoration, initiated by the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992 and supported by the LEKT, the National Park Service, and local nonprofits, not only underscores the cultural and ecological importance of salmon but also serves as an inspiring model for similar restoration efforts across the region, including projects on the Klamath River. Despite facing challenges such as climate change and habitat degradation, the Elwha River's revival highlights the potential benefits of collaborative efforts between Indigenous peoples and river management agencies in restoring salmon populations and their habitats.
Disclaimer: The above summary was generated by a state-of-the-art LLM model and is intended for informational purposes only. It is recommended that readers refer to the original article for more context.
Original content
The Elwha Dam was one of two dams on the Elwha River blocking salmon runs. It was removed in 2011. Credit: Ben Cody/Wikimedia After decades of waiting for two dams to come down on the Elwha River on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula, and another decade of monitoring salmon populations, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT) was finally able to open a small ceremonial and subsistence Coho salmon fishery this past October. As other salmon populations struggle to survive the impacts of climate change and human development in the Pacific Northwest, the story of the Elwha's returning Coho salmon provides hope for other communities working to save their own fish.The Elwha River is fed by several glaciers and perennial snowfields in the Olympic mountains and is home to salmon, lamprey, otters and elk that have sustained Indigenous peoples in the region since time immemorial. The name "Elwha" comes from the Quileute word for elk, an abundant species on the ...
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