PubTalk 10/2010 — Dam Removal in the Pacific Northwest

- a new tool for river restoration

by Jonathan Warrick, Research Geologist

• Dams provide water supply, power generation and flood control, but they have finite life spans and can disrupt river and coastal ecosystems.
• Removal of two large dams on the Elwha River of Washington in 2011 will be the largest dam removal project ever.
• Will removing the dams aid the recovery of the once flourishing salon runs on the river?
• Dam removal will release 10's of millions of cubic meters of sediment, which may help restore river spawning and reduce coastal erosion.