The United States Geological Survey announced this week that five papers revealing results of several studies of the effects of dam removal on the Elwha River were published recently in the science journal, Geomorphology. Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe habitat program manager Mike McHenry contributed to one of the papers discussing the significant changes in the river channel […]
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is tagging large woody debris to follow it as it moves through the newly restored Elwha River system. “We’re tracking over 2,000 logs and tree stumps with silver tree tags, from the upstream end of Lake Mills to the river mouth,” said Vivian Leung, a doctoral student of geomorphology at […]
Sonar is helping the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe get an accurate estimate of some species of salmon returning to the Elwha River. The Tribe has been counting the number of returning adult chinook salmon and steelhead using a sonar camera since 2008 with positive results. The camera is placed just below the water’s surface, sending […]
The Sequim Gazette reported that more than 1,700 chinook salmon were found in the Elwha River, between the Glines Canyon Dam and Strait of Juan de Fuca, during a one-day survey of the river in September by tribal, state and federal biologists. From the story: Results from the survey indicate this year’s Chinook return is […]
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe youth collected data for the U.S. Geological Survey by flying a kite over the Elwha River this summer. As part of a science-based summer camp focusing on the Elwha River restoration project, the kite was collecting data about the ever-changing Lake Aldwell delta. The red kite had a small digital camera […]
Chinook salmon are returning once again to the Elwha River, with the river in its second year of being free of the Elwha Dam. The Glines Canyon Dam is not yet completely removed, but the river is expected to be completely free flowing by the end of 2014. From The Peninsula Daily News: One year […]
Standing on the Altair Bridge in Olympic National Park, members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe wildlife staff peer into the rushing Elwha River below, trying to find signs of river otters in the riffles. Suddenly, a couple of smooth brown heads break the surface, one playfully pouncing on the other before they dive back […]
While the Elwha River’s two fish-blocking dams are coming down, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s native steelhead broodstock program is winding down too. Since 2005, the tribe has been collecting steelhead fry from the lower river to safeguard the native run as the Elwha and Glines Canyons dams came down. The Elwha dam was removed […]
Less than a year since the Elwha River’s two fish-blocking dams started to come down, native salmon have made their way deep into the Elwha watershed for the first time in nearly a century. After the 108-foot-tall Elwha Dam was dismantled in March, an additional three miles of river habitat was re-opened for fish spawning, […]
The restoration of the landscapes after removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams and their associated reservoirs is more than just planting a few trees, shrubs and grasses. Since 2000, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and Olympic National Park have been collecting millions of seeds from native plants in the river valley. From those […]
