The Elwha River is located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state and is the only river in the lower 48 to host all 5 species of pacific salmon not to mention steelhead, cutthroat, bull trout, and dolly varden. Two dams constructed on the river in the early 20th century greatly hampered the spawning runs of these fish. However, both dams are slated for removal beginning in September.
This isn’t new news. What is new is Jason Jaacks’ project, Return to Elwha, chronicling the dams, their eventual removal, and hopefully the watershed’s full recovery. I had the pleasure of fishing (and drinking an immoderate amount of camp espresso) with Jason in Colorado a few years ago and he is a really neat guy and a fantastic photographer. Be sure to check out his work.
