Year of the River: Episode 3, Elwha River (WA)

Posted: 01/19/2012

By: Thomas O'Keefe

Currently underway, the Elwha River restoration project is the biggest dam removal effort in history (see today's progress). While American Whitewater has been proud to play a part in this effort, the real credit goes to the Elwha Tribe and some creative and innovative thinkers in the river conservation community who came up with this "crazy idea" that dam removal would actually be possible.

Recognizing the need to highlight a couple of these early pioneers in the effort to restore the Elwha, American Whitewater partnered with American Rivers and Andy Maser to release "Year of the River: Episode 3" with support from the Hydropower Reform Coalition.

Conservation advocates Rick Rutz and Shawn Cantrell have been working for 27 years to make the Elwha River dam removal project a reality. On a rafting trip down the Elwha, they tell the story of taking the concept from “crazy idea” to landmark victory.

View Previous Films in Our Series

Year of the River Episode 1, Elwha River (4:26)

Year of the River Episode 2, White Salmon River (4:07)

Explosive Breach of Condit Dam, White Salmon River (2:30)

Condit Dam Removal Explained, White Salmon River (3:55)

Thomas O'Keefe

3537 NE 87th St.

Seattle, WA 98115

E-mail: okeefe@americanwhitewater.org

Phone: 425-417-9012

Full Profile

Associated Rivers

Elwha WA

1. Grand Canyon V

Elwha WA

2. Glines Canyon to Highway 101 II-III(IV)

Elwha WA

3. Highway 101 to river mouth (ocean surf) II-III(IV)

Associated Projects

Elwha Restoration (WA)

The Elwha River will be restored by removing two dams that have blocked salmon and degraded recreational opportunities on one of the Pacific Northwest's most spectacular rivers.