A River Returns

[TheBigGuy]

‘Meat and potatoes of the marine food system’ returns
Tristan Baurick, Kitsap Sun 3:34 p.m. PST December 14, 2016
http://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news...marine-food-system-returns-to-elwha/94375420/

I would think that it wasn't just the sand released by the dam removal that was responsible. I would think a lot of pent up nutrients were flushed out into the JDF strait as well.

 

[agentaqua]

BC Hydro facing federal order, heavy fines for Site C sediment and erosion problems
Larry Pynn
More from Larry Pynn
Published on: January 5, 2017 | Last Updated: January 5, 2017 5:41 PM PST
http://vancouversun.com/business/lo...ines-for-site-c-sediment-and-erosion-problems

 

[agentaqua]

Taking cues from nature to advance salmon restoration
https://usfwsnortheast.wordpress.co...es-from-nature-to-advance-salmon-restoration/

 

[agentaqua]

Pess et al. Northwest Science, Vol. 82, Special Issue, 2008
Biological Impacts of the Elwha River Dams and Potential Salmonid Responses to Dam Removal
https://swfsc.noaa.gov/uploadedFile...ocument/3.2_Pess_etal_2008_ElwaDamImpacts.pdf

 

[agentaqua]

After 90 years, salmon are returning to upper Sultan River
Chris Winters
Mon Feb 13th, 2017
http://www.heraldnet.com/news/after-90-years-salmon-are-returning-to-upper-sultan-river/

 

[agentaqua]

Court of Appeals supports hatchery fish in Elwha River in decision
Paul Gottlieb
Tue Apr 25th, 2017
https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/...rts-hatchery-fish-in-elwha-river-in-decision/

 

[agentaqua]

There used to be salmon as big as golden retrievers in the Columbia River, but dams killed them off
The ‘June hogs’ often weighed more than 100 pounds
https://timeline.com/there-used-to-...a-river-but-dams-killed-them-off-20854d1f971e

 

[agentaqua]

Watch: How we killed off the giant salmon of the Pacific Northwest in 50 years
https://timeline.com/pacific-northwest-giant-chinook-salmon-dam-june-hogs-environment-56eb20af0c61

 

[agentaqua]

Fish recolonizing areas upriver of former dam sites on Elwha River
Jesse Major
Fri Aug 11th, 2017
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/n...s-upriver-of-former-dam-sites-on-elwha-river/

 

[agentaqua]

After its dams came down, a river is reborn
A look at the Elwha unleashed.
Kate Schimel
Image credit: Andy Ritchie
Sept. 4, 2017
http://www.hcn.org/issues/49.15/rivers-six-years-after-its-dams-came-down-a-river-is-reborn

 

[agentaqua]

Beavers on the coast are helping salmon bounce back. Here’s how.
The arrival of beaver dams in the Pacific Northwest’s Elwha River delta may have surprising benefits.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/08/coastal-beavers-help-salmon-recovery-washington/

 

[agentaqua]

New Film Highlights Elwha Summer-runs ‘Rising From The Ashes’
http://nwsportsmanmag.com/new-film-highlights-elwha-summer-runs-rising-from-the-ashes/

 

[wildmanyeah]

New Film Highlights Elwha Summer-runs ‘Rising From The Ashes’
http://nwsportsmanmag.com/new-film-highlights-elwha-summer-runs-rising-from-the-ashes/

Thoughts? Analysis?

 

[agentaqua]

I don't know the Elwa - except what tidbits are out there in internetland. So, hard to comment on the speed of the summer steelhead increases in comparison to steelhead in adjacent rivers. It does trigger some thinking - you are right, WMY. Seems like good news, however.

Anyone on this forum - more familiar w the Elwa have some ideas?

 

[wildmanyeah]

Yes it’s a great news story and how fast after the dams were removed things changed. The before and after photos also of the estuary are also very cools to see.

 

[agentaqua]

In 'momentous' act, regulators approve demolition of four Klamath River dams

Federal regulators have approved a plan to demolish four Klamath River dams, a historic act that is intended to save imperiled salmon.

www.latimes.com

 

[CRGreg]

One line of thinking is that there was a remnant population of Summer Steelhead that were trapped behind the Dam. When the dam was removed, their offspring still had the genetic map to go to sea. They provided a kick start to the recovery. I have been to the Ehlwa recently and it is a beautiful system with the majority of the watershed in Olympic National Forest and protected.

CR Greg

 

[Sharphooks]

There absolutely had to have been an unforeseen kick-start to that population of summer fish from the resident rainbow stuck behind the dam. To have that veritable explosion of summer steelhead population in such a short time period had less to do with blowing up the dams then with the behavioral characteristics of resident rainbow

I say that because there are many rivers near the Elwha that do not have dams, have relatively undisturbed spawning habitat, yet have seen significant drops in their steelhead populations during that same time period

It’ll be interesting to see the data results for the genetic fingerprints of those “new” fish that magically returned in such a short period of time with clear-eyed analysis on why that happened in one system but not in any others, and if there’s something unique about a summer steelhead’s migratory pattern compared to a winter steelhead’s...the rubber has to meet the road out on the high seas to have had so many adult fish materialize in such a short time span after the dams went down