Dam Removal in the Pacific Northwest: A New Tool for River Restoration

• 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 resotre river spawning and recduce coastal erosion.

Speaker: Jonathan Warrick, Research Geologist