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Recovery and Restoration of the Elwha River Ecosystem Following Dam Removal: Evaluation of Changes in Riverine Water Quality, Aquatic Habitat and Salmonid Fisheries
Background-The Elwha River is located on the Olympic Peninsula (within Olympic National Park) and currently contains two major dams built in 1910 and 1926. The dams have significantly reduced the river sediment flux to the coast, removed more than 95 percent of the historic spawning habitats of native salmonids and altered riverine water quality. In 2008 the dams are scheduled to be removed in an effort to restore the Elwha R. Salmonid fisheries which are an important resource to members of the Jonestown Klallam Tribe, the Lower Elwaha Klallam Tribe, and the Makah Tribe. The project will reopen the headlands of the Elwha salmonid spawning habitats above the dams (http://www.nps.gov/olym/naturescience/elwha-ecosystem-restoration.htm). Removal of the dams will also have profound environmental impacts on the structure and function of local fluvial (river), littoral (shore), and nearshore ecosystems which are poorly understood. It is estimated that 13 million cubic meters of sediment will be released by this process (the current average annual flux to the coast is about 4,000 cubic meters) and that this material will be deposited in fluvial, littoral, and nearshore systems downstream from the dams. The impact that this sediment will ultimately have on coastal habitats, such as wetlands and nearshore subtidal habitats is unclear. Numerous groups including the National Park Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Jonestown Klallam Tribe, the Lower Elwaha Klallam Tribe, and the Makah Tribe, as well as the USGS, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries Service, SeaGrant, Olympic National Park, Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and local universities are interested or are actively engaged in various monitoring activities in the Elwha River. These activities provide us with a significant opportunity to leverage our limited resources and build upon the current activities. We propose to examine water quality and habitat changes and nutrient cycling both in the Elwha R. (both pre-restoration and post restoration) and a nearby reference watershed that has never been subjected to damming. Our goal is to evaluate the progress and the potential of these ecosystems for recovery. Understanding the potential of habitats for recovery following restoration was cited by OW / OWOW as one of their major research needs. Understanding the effect of this type of restoration on water quality habitat recovery is particularly important in light of the number of aging dams around the country. This project gives EPA an unusual opportunity to study and learn from the restoration efforts from pre-restoration to post restoration. Not only will we learn more about how to perform flood plain restoration at such a large scale, but also the effect this restoration has on water and habitat quality. Proposed Initial Studies-NRMRL and Region 10 propose to partner with the USGS and Universities and the groups cited above, to begin developing a coordinated monitoring/research plan for the Elwha R. and the reference watershed.
Contact: Joseph Schubauer-Berigan, 513/569-7734, (EIMS#136284S)