The Kitsap Sun’s environmental reporter Chris Dunagan published a five-part series recently about the upcoming removal of the two fish-blocking dams in the Elwha River. He covered everything from tribal culture to sediment flow to the fish that reside in the river. Check it out through his blog, where links to all stories are posted. From his blog:
Studies about the future of the Elwha River, which snakes up into Olympic National Park, have been going on for more than 20 years. Now that dam removal is about a year away, excitement is reaching new heights.
I thought that this would be a good time to discuss the restoration of the river and reservoirs behind the two dams. How will the natural environment change? What kinds of plants will take over? And what will be the future of salmon and steelhead that have hung on in the lower river all these years?
These are subjects I touched on in a series of articles published in Sunday’s Kitsap Sun. In one piece, I also mentioned the special cultural significance of the Elwha River to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.
