Elwha River

Elwha River
River
Elwha River
Country	United States
State	Washington
Counties	Clallam, Jefferson
Tributaries
- left	Cat Creek, Goldie River, Indian Creek
- right	Hayes River, Lost River, Lillian River, Little River
City	Port Angeles
Source	Olympic Range
- elevation	3,655 ft (1,114 m)
- coordinates	47°46′8″N 123°34′43″W
Mouth	Strait of Juan de Fuca
- elevation	0 ft (0 m)
- coordinates	48°9′2″N 123°33′35″W
Length	45 mi (72 km)
Basin	318 sq mi (824 km2)
Discharge	for McDonald Bridge, River mile 8.6
- average	1,507 cu ft/s (43 m3/s)
- max	41,600 cu ft/s (1,178 m3/s)
- min	10 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
Map of the Elwha River
Mouth of the Elwha River in Washington

The Elwha River is a 45-mile (72 km)-long river located on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. From its source at Elwha snowfinger in the Olympic Range of Olympic National Park it flows generally north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the river is contained within Olympic National Park. There are two dams on the river's lower course, both of which are scheduled to be removed.

The river is one of the few in the Pacific Northwest to contain all 5 species of Pacific Salmon and also contains four other anadromous trout species. Prior to the construction of the dams, approximately 400,000 adult salmon returned to the river each year to spawn in over 70 miles (110 km) of river habitat. Today, less than 4,000 salmon return each year in only 4.9 miles (7.9 km) of available habitat below the first dam.

The species of anadromous fish in the river include; Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Chum Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, and Pink Salmon, as well as, Steelhead, Coastal cutthroat trout, Bull trout, and Dolly Varden char.

The origin of the name Elwha is uncertain. There are several theories. It may be a corruption of the Quileute name e ilth quath, pronounced āīlth'q-uȧtt", a place name with no English translation. Another theory is that it is derived from the Klallam word for elk, elkwah. The most plausible theory is that the name is simply that of the Klallam village once located along the banks of the river. The first documented use of the name Elwha River dates to Henry Kellett's 1846 map.

Course

The Elwha River begins at the Elwha snowfinger near Mount Barnes and Mount Queets in the Olympic Range within Olympic National Park, in Jefferson County, Washington. The river flows southeast, then curves northward for the rest of its course. Major peaks near the Elwha's source include Mount Christie, Mount Carrie Mount Meany, and Mount Seattle.

After receiving the tributaries Delabarre Creek and Godkin Creek the Elwha River flows northward. The Hayes River joins in Press Valley, where the Hayes River Ranger Station is located. Lost River joins near the northern end of Press Valley, after which the Elwha crosses into Clallam County, Washington.

Just after the countyline, the Elwha River passes the Elkhorn Ranger Station and enters the Grand Canyon of the Elwha. The river leaves the Grand Canyon as it passes under Dodger point bridge and past Humes Ranch Cabin along the Geyser Valley trail. After passing Krause Bottom, the river enters Rica Canyon at Goblins Gate. After Rica Canyon, the river fans out into a delta at the head of Lake Mills, the reservoir behind Glines Canyon Dam. Below the dam the Elwha is paralleled by Olympic Hot Springs Road. After flowing by a couple campgrounds and the Elwha Ranger Station the river exits Olympic National Park and enters Lake Aldwell, the reservoir behind Elwha Dam.

Below the dams, the Elwha River flows several miles north, through the Lower Elwha Indian Reservation, to enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Angeles Point, just west of the city of Port Angeles, Washington.

Dams

Elwha Dam with Lake Aldwell behind. The power house can be seen in the center.

The river is the site for the largest dam removal project in history. The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration project is also the second largest ecosystem restoration project the National Park Service has ever attempted, after the Everglades. The Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992 was signed by first President Bush after Congress passed it in 1992. The total cost of the project is projected to be $350 million. The act authorized the Secretary of the Interior to acquire and remove two dams on the river and restore the ecosystem and native anadromous fisheries.

The 108-foot (33 m)-tall Elwha Dam and the 210-foot (64 m)-tall Glines Canyon Dam will be dismantled in stages starting in September 2011. Two downstream water treatment facilities were completed in early 2010 in order to protect the water supply for the City of Port Angeles and the fish hatcheries from silt and sediment that will wash downstream once the dams are removed. In order to protect fish stocks below the dams during removal, the dams will be taken out over a two-and-a-half to three year process, to ensure there is no silt in the river while salmon are spawning downstream.

Once dam removal is complete, salmon will be able to naturally recolonize the 70+ miles of available habitat within Olympic National Park. In addition, the area once under the reservoirs will be revegetated to prevent erosion and speed up ecological restoration of the area. Model projections by the Park Service show that up to 392,000 fish will fill 70 miles of habitat currently blocked by the dams, theoretically matching the "predam peak"

The lower Elwha (below Aldwell Reservoir) is rated class II.

See also

• List of Washington rivers

Further reading

• Watershed: The Undamming of America by Elizabeth Grossman (2002, ISBN 1-58243-108-6)

External links

• Elwha River Webcams, showing dam removal progress
• Elwha River Restoration
• Elwha dam removal gets final go-ahead, from The Seattle Times
• Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act PL 102-495
• Unconquering the Last Frontier, a film by Robert Lundahl
• Over the Elwha Aerial Photography of the Elwha River Ecosystem by Robert Lundahl
• Elwha River Education site, including large image repository
• The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
• Glines Canyon Dam Removal Animation
• Elwha Dam Removal Animation
• Northwest Science Special Issue containing peer reviewed Elwha River research