This fall on Washington’s Elwha River, for the first time since dam removal, recovering Coho salmon numbers were able to support a Ceremonial and Subsistence fishery led by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
On the Elwha, dams came down, steelhead came back
Part 1 of a series. This week, we’re telling stories about what happens when dams come out and life flows back in. It’s a vision of what could be on the lower Snake: a free-flowing river and wild fisheries staging a remarkable comeback.
Field Day Friday: A peek into the former reservoirs of the Elwha River
We’re back with another Science Friday, this one an update on a recent Elwha River Field Day from our Science Director, John McMillan.
Field Day Friday: Elwha summer steelhead survey
Fall means another field season of studying steelhead in the Elwha River is over and this is the fourth consecutive year we have counted steelhead in the Elwha by snorkeling various river reaches.
Elwha River: Ten Years Later
Washington’s Elwha River is celebrating an important anniversary today. It’s been ten years since the start of deconstruction of two dams in the Elwha that blocked salmon and steelhead from returning to the majority of habitat in this remarkable watershed.
Elwha River: An update on our summer steelhead journey
Our Science Director, John McMillan, shares some early findings from our snorkel surveys of the Elwha River’s summer steelhead this past year.
Elwha River update: habitat restoration on Little River
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe has completed a two-year restoration project of Little River recently, making it more salmon and steelhead friendly. We go in-depth with this part of the tribe’s Elwha River watershed restoration work.
The Elwha: Rising From the Ashes
2020 has been noteworthy in many ways. Some of this year’s offerings (megafires, Covid-19) have been unwelcome. But for steelhead anglers and advocates, one highlight was the release of a new film in April documenting the return of summer steelhead to Washington’s Elwha River.