Nature's Return: The Elwha Dam Removal 

Haha, I was hoping at least one person got a kick out of that one! It made me laugh, so it made the final cut 😂

I noticed too. Definitely got a chuckle.

Dam it! Make a lake! 😂

God dam it! You stole my comment 🤣

It was good. Thus "a dam good narrative."

Thanks for watching, glad I could help!

Haha, thank you! You're puns certainly aren't falling on deaf ears! (That was a bit of a stretch, but I'm sticking with it)

Clickbait. Misleading.

@@mcqueenx75 but still, informational

Because he cries too much

Punny!

That's wonderful, so glad you got to experience that! Hopefully many others will now as well!

Hey Ben, thanks for watching. That sounds like an awesome project you've got going on up there, keep up the good work and best of luck!

Hi Ben, I'm a fellow Oregonian (Central Oregon), I like your thinking.

@laughing Atyou That's an over simplified idea. Rivers that flow to the ocean, with fish habitat, need to be kept flowing for more than just one reason. The Colorado River is dying because of the dams, it doesn't even reach the sea, it just dies in a mosquito plagued bog that wasn't there 100 years ago.

I live in SW Oregon, stay in the north.

Yeah. Things are gonna be great after the damn humans kill themselves off.

In the end nature will win. So sad about all the species we have driven to extinction.

Same!

Thanks for watching, glad you found it helpful! I'm not even from the PNW, but I'm so happy the salmon are coming back too. It just seems right.

It's called the American History. There are thousands of examples. A country built on greed, disregard for nature and the native people, and exploitation of the new comers and the slaves...

He was a white guy.

😂😂😂

@@robertturtle and? in your eyes, only white people bad, right? maybe read something else than twitter

Nature can do amazing things, given half a chance.

Good luck when you don’t have drinking water. Don’t forget New Orleans would not exist without dams.

Then it probably shouldn’t exist in the first place

@@tim_dillon Between the Bonnevile Dam, the Coulee Dam, and the wind turbines on the east side of Washington state our power needs are met almost entirely by renewables. The Elena dams weren’t providing any significant power anyways.

I'm not a fan of removing all dams but the ones on the Elwha were perfect candidates for removal.

Congratulations, that's awesome!

I agree, that would be cool!

A local small lake has been having its dam repaired and in the process it was entirely drained. The amount of growth was incredible! Inside of a few days there were mosses and grass growing where only water grass had been, within a month or two of it fully drying out those grasses were 4 feet tall! Inside of a year brushy weeds were in excess of 10 FEET! These were mostly blood weed and sunflowers at that point. All manner of animals had turned the dry lake bed into hiding places.

We need more of these satellite imagery Timelapse’s

@@soonerfrac4611 Yep me too, dam was removed and weeds spring up fast. They didn’t need any help.

@laughing Atyou Funny, gas is going up though in price. We might run out someday, joking

Thanks so much Colin, glad you enjoyed it!

Very cool, I'm sure you're not the only happy one either! I'm from the East Coast, but I appreciate a good free-flowing river too!

@@NationalParkDiaries you're from the east coast yet you consider yourself an expert and qualified to pronounce policy on rivers in the Northwest? Unbelievable!

@@drewpackman2929 yup its called being American elitist your probably from California shut your mouth

All of the dams where salmon run in the Pacific Northwest have fish ladders, but fish ladders absolutely do not allow salmon to "travel freely". They are still a major impediment to migration.

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks Johnne, glad you're enjoying everything!

Reservoir powel. Lakes are natural.

@@Chocoboranger Tempe Arizona, there is a man made lake but keep going

Dam also effect how silty the water is and how the river naturally winds which could put certain species at a disadvantage. There are other ecological impacts too like altering the temperature, depths, oxygen levels...

@@Chocoboranger what's the difference between people putting up a dirt dam and nature pilling dirt in a rock slide?

@@thornil2231 One is maintained and the other naturally degrades. Also if you want to get into landslides blocking rivers take a look into why the hills are so empty and not covered in old growth riparian ecosystems

Restore the Rapids has been tossed around in Grand Rapids for a while. A better current might make the Grand River a bit less uhhh disgusting.

@@brianvulcan5252 I live in the GR area. There is much to be done in the Grand River restoration. The money is there if they get the permits and have the political will to take out the low dams in the Grand River. I also have seen the river cleaned up a lot over the last 30 years (the sewers no longer overflow into the river). But yes, the cleanup is not yet done, and needs to be.

Thanks so much for your support!

Thanks for watching!

Right. I mentioned in the video how these dams were largely uncontroversial (to the general public) when built. I'd say they were pretty much in line with the way of thinking back then. And yes, I agree it's not automatically wrong to build projects for the benefit of humans. My philosophy in general is that those projects should come from a mindset of mutual respect for nature, rather than complete domination. Thanks for watching!

The trouble was, not everyone was represented in those "cost/benefit" analyses; only the politically connected, financially powerful, and expressing the philosophy of the times; which usually was exploitation, for personal, or small group; benefit; at the expense of all other considerations. Hopefully, we are moving away from that philosophy.

I agree with everyone’s point. There must be an advocate for preserving the value of public lands. The government should accommodate both the natural and industrial requirements of society. The government needs to represent the population, not wealth, agencies, political parties, individuals, corporations (nor tech billionaires) or secret agendas. And something I don’t think anyone is identifying, is the indoctrination into falsehoods and false religions such as climate change hysteria and de industrialization. Anyone who revokes others ability to debate a virtue is part of a vast social conspiracy to implement Satanism. Freemasons run everything, and us Christians are tired of their sick social games.

Not necessarily everyone; mainly the "Powers that be" (the leaders of a community, area, or region, either politically, monetarily, socially; or a combination of the preceding. This would also include the contractors, and builders. There was also an ethic, at the time; that nature was there, to be exploited for mankind's use. The people who studied how nature worked, and why; as well as the Original Americans; who had learned, by observation ( I prefer "Original", as opposed to "Native", because anyone born in America, as I am, is a Native American, while those descended from the individuals who crossed the "land bridge", from Northeast Asia, were here, first; by circumstance; and are the Original Americans); were in the minority, and shut out, of the discussions.

I’ll play a little nicer since the last one was removed…. The dams that can be removed because they no longer serve a purpose, or are more of a hindrance should be removed. Those that cannot be removed but can be retrofitted to help fish migration should have this accomplished. But the dams turned the US into an industrial & agricultural powerhouse. Allowing us to feed other nations with our excess. Now that dams are being removed we are a net importer of food because of water rationing in California and other places out West. Without these dams places like LA die overnight. Even smaller communities have faded by an accidentally breached dam because of an immediate effect of loss of water to grow food or even drink. As to the tribes. There is a narrative that is very Disney-like that the various tribes lived in harmony with nature and each other. It’s a lie. Many sad and tragic things happened that are downright shameful in our national history, and to pretend they didn’t happen is just as shameful. But to perpetuate the myth that Native Americans were a peaceful group that lived in total bliss with the world around them does them a disservice.

One has to keep in mind that when most of these were built, the alternatives were basically coal fired plants (or in the early days, wood, until areas were too deforested) or animal power. So of course a dam or mill race was seen as a good alternative. One thing I fear we're missing in putting stuff like this into context is that the reason we can tear down these small dams is that our society has become so massively power hungry, that this old infrastructure is trivial and/or redundant. We can afford to throw it away now, because our needs are being supplied by an even bigger environmental catastrophe somewhere else.

Dont underestimate the biodiversity and wildlife in Arizona, the jaguars are returning and maybe soon they wont just be visiting. The life in a desert is generally more humble and small but its still really cool stuff and ironically I am pretty sure there are actually more freshwater fish species in Arizona then in Washington state even if most of them are small.

Glad I could help!

Thanks for watching! The Elwha restoration is such a good story and one I was glad to tell here on the channel.

It brings me joy to imagine Treebeard freeing the Elwha 😂

@@NationalParkDiaries All rather simplistic views of issues and problems.

🙌

Hello fellow Port Angeles native here. The Elwa has been recovering quite nicely. The beaches on the Strait side of Ediz Hook are slowly getting fuller too now that natural silt is getting back into the Strait.

Shove 3,000 miles worth of solar panels in the Sahara and the Mohave and we have ourselves a decent solution for a while.

@@Elite02k not only that, solar pannels can be convined with agriculture and livestock. In germany is usual to see solar panels with sheeps and other animals...

The simple solution is nuclear power

Nuclear is the way to go. But expensive up front costs drive private industry away. Needs to be expensive to be safe too. But solar and wind take up so much space.

Nuclear energy is the only viable option for the future. Solar and wind were good ideas but no where enough to meat modern power needs.

Yeah. Let’s get rid of our most reliable source of renewable energy and irrigation for some fish.

I'm all for removing dams on the Snake but the lower dams are the last place that I would start. I'd start at Milner built in 1905 destroyed the spawning habitat Below Shoshone Falls killed of the run that spawned between Hells Canyon and the falls where migration ended naturally. After Milner I'd work downstream and remove the dams without fish passage and create slackwater pools which heat the water the Mainstem dams without fish passage (Upper and Lower Salmon, Bliss, C.J. Strike, and Swan Falls dams) are the next dams I would prioritize. Not the newest 4 lower dams which have fish passage, do not heat the water.

Let Kings be kings 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

What do Teslas have to do with it, bank enemy?

Lake Mead and Lake Powell are in huge trouble now and lawns are seen all over at people’s houses in these desert cities that depend on the Colorado River.

You bet, Cameron. Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!

Enjoy!

Thanks, love you too!

You are welcome Joanna!

Thanks for watching!

We have those in the States as well. The Columbia River has a significant amount of them if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, fish populations have still been impacted. The fish ladders just aren't a meaningful replacement for free-flowing rivers.

fishladders have to be designed and added as the dam was built and designed for the area, not just added on as a emergency kit like in Columbia. and then you have the second part, the ladder helps only upstream, you need something downstream too in form of specialized grids to not take out the smolt going out to the ocean to get big. while it have shown in Norway to reduce impact on Atlantic Salmon and Eel to almost zero and some places even increased it population (by making ladders up to what was before unreachable waters by the fish) it might have some impact on the far more aggressive and intrusive Pacific Salmon when used in the US though, so that might need research (aka using money, something big corps don't like to do). funny enough though we are starting to think out methods to build and use fishladders here to exterminate all Pacific Salmons from out rivers since they are wrecking havoc with the local ecosystems. (thanks USSR for planting em out in your rivers back in the day.... nothing bad could happen from that right?)

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for watching!!

It's crazy. They've come flooding in.

Thanks for watching! Also, I love Costa Rica. One of my favorite places on Earth!

Thanks Eric!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks so much!

I had another subscriber mention that to me as well. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Has there been any movement in recent years? What are the biggest hurdles?

@@NationalParkDiariesFlorida Defenders of the Environment, the organization that stopped the Cross Florida Barge Canal is still working to free the Ocklawaha. My friends, the late Whitey Markle was, and Jim Grosse, the Executive Director, is still slogging along to open the river. Jim is a hydrologist who used to work for the water management district. People in Palatka miles and miles away on the St. Johns River think they own the dam and pool which is about like a cesspool. The Ocklawaha is the largest tributary of the St. Johns. Stocked bass were often put in for bass fishing, but in competitions which start around February or March the trophy hunters are allowed to go back through the locks to the St. Johns River to catch big bass and then return for judging. They then have to take the bass back to the St. Johns, speeding along in Manatee habitat. Politicians support keeping the stagnant pool, but when there is a drawdown to reduce algae and overgrowth, the visitors and spending doubles. The U.S. Forest Service, I think, own the land the Rodman Dam was built on to allow barge traffic. The Cross Florida Barge Canal was cancelled by Nixon in the 70's. We had hoped the feds would say to take down the derelict, dangerous dam, but Trump took over then. Our local state Senator Bradley didn't care that the economic studies proved there would be great benefit for the area to free the Ocklawaha. No businesses around. The bait shops have all closed, perhaps twenty years ago. Bass fishermen get their gas before driving to the dam and then leave the area after competitions. Many times the launches are clogged up due to excess nitrogen in the water, thus vegetation build-up. Our St. Johns Water Management District finally declared freeing the Ocklawaha would help flush the nutrients and clean up the St. Johns, also reducing salt water intrusion to the mouth of the St. Johns.

@@Cerceify Thanks for the update! I've got this on my radar and will certainly keep my eye on it!

Thank you and welcome! I hope you enjoy!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks!

You bet!

This is pretty much in line with how I think about the natural world as well. The more we see ourselves as part of it, the more likely we are to take better care of it.

I'm happy to highlight it! That area is gorgeous!

Welcome! And stay dry lol!

You should get water spaniels. They don't need raincoats.

Thank you!

Thanks and I agree!

Thanks for watching! I've read about the Klamath removals - looking forward to that!

I found the video, and this reference to Klamath, interesting, only because there was significant emphasis (rightfully so) placed on how the dam was created, and how certain voices were left out of the conversation on whether the project should occur or not. Why i think that's significant is that, as much as things have changed, and we've learned, we still make many of the same mistakes and face the same issues today, it's just different voices with sway and different voices that are ignored as "unimportant". For every person that will benefit from increased Salmon activity, you have someone who loses a location they used to fish for a different species from a boat. For every person who wants a free flowing river because of natures beauty, you have another who misses out on yearly recreational use of the lake being removed. In the case of the video, it seems like a "no brainer" that removal was the best case. I'm sure the overall consensus, and certainly my opinion is the same, that removal was the right thing to do. But keep in mind, just as noted about the native tribe not being heard, i'm sure there were people who didn't want the Elwha, or the Klamath, dams to be removed. Yet to many advocates of the project, their voices "don't matter". That's a sobering thought when you realize that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

That's awesome. Enjoy the river!

Welcome!

Thanks for commenting, I appreciate your perspective. I would argue the "select few" were the pulp mill and logging operations, yes. These dams weren't generating enough electricity to really benefit the general public, so their benefit was flowing to, in my opinion, a "select few." Given the time period these dams were built during, that was perfectly acceptable. The Elwha Dam was built on private property and the Glines Canyon Dam was built in what was then a National Forest. They were constructed according to generally accepted economic and ecological viewpoints at the time. As the decades went on and public opinion began to shift (and the ecological impact became more well known), removal became more of a possibility. As for the replacement power, that will be taken over by the Bonneville Power Administration, which also produces power through hydroelectricity. It will not be generated through fossil fuels. More than a select few will benefit now, as the restoration will restore an economically and ecologically valuable fishery, provide a vibrant and healthy ecosystem for the public, and restore invaluable cultural sites.

Also, on shifting power generation to fossil fuels: the dam had been providing a small minority of power demand in the local area (I think around 3% around the time of its removal). An NPS factsheet cites the dam as providing only enough energy to meet half of the demand of a single local company (www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/elwha-faq.htm). So - shifting energy supply toward fossil fuels in the area around the Elwha is essentially a non-issue.

If the grid went down, those dams could have kept Port Angles in power and help restart the grid. We were lied to about the amount of silt, the cost of clean up, and the amount of damage to the environment caused by the dams. The all important metric was removal, no matter the cost, Hydro power is evil, or so the mantra went. There are other issues to the salmon runs, Judge Bolt didn't help us in that regard, and fish farming may prevent any real return of the old runs as the problems are much wider than Puget Sound. This dam removal is not just any one dam, it is politics, and all of them. Unless wind and solar is used to pump water uphill to be used when the wind and sun do not shine, there is no storage on the grid. The closest we have to that is the Columbia basin irrigation project, but will it get used that way? I used to get water from that years ago, and am now too out of the loop to know pump/recovery data. Have fun

No one will be forgoing the use of electricity with these removals. Both dams combined produced only a small amount of power and replacing it will not be an issue.

@@NationalParkDiaries i don't know what world you live in but there are already brown out occurring south of there in the summertime. Add into the fact that population is being forced to move to electric vehicles for which the grid cannot currently support the charging of and will place more demand on a system which cannot support it. So, yeah, I would say you are wrong. Typical...

@@drewpackman2929 The Elwha dam only produced 14.8 MW. That's like only 16 homes worth of power. That's it. It didn't produce enough electricity to pay for its own upkeep and maintenance. Even if there was a way to move that power to somewhere "south of there", so much of it would be lost to resistance that you'd barely be able to charge 16 people's phones. It was going to sit idle anyway. Are you personally willing to buy the power company and lose money every year to keep it running? It was going to cost the state money in maintenance every year just to make sure it didn't catastrophically collapse and cause a flood that destroyed downstream property. Are you willing to foot the tax bill to keep it going as a public utility? You couldn't even google if your idea was possible, let alone practical, or cost-effective.

@@lostmuskrat your math and understanding is all messed up. 1 megawatt of power at 1 second is enough energy to power 2,900,000 homes given a average use of 0.34 watt per second. By all means take your dams out if you desire to. It won't affect me. I generally consider that area of the US to be populated by leftist lunatics. I just wonder who you will try to devour when your needs are not met. Everything run by democrats turns to s**t.

@@drewpackman2929 that grid thing is a myth. You don't charge third car at peak usage. You charge it over night. Additionally it isnt like they go electric over night. The grod adjusts.

Me too, such a wonderful restoration!

@@NationalParkDiaries There’s still so much work to do around the nation regarding Dam removal. Keep the educational videos coming our way. Thank you!

@@NorthwestAdventurerNWA Will do, and thank you!

Thanks for watching!

@@NationalParkDiaries Oh you’re welcome! I subscribed as well! Have a great day!!

Welcome to the community! And you too!

Thanks for watching!

Thank you!

Lol like that would ever happen.

Hello how are you doing?