Elwha dams

OK here is what I learned. The dams are 93 years old. After 50 years they start to waste away. My neighbor who is one of the professors working on the impact of the removal says, " once a run of salmon is gone, that run will never come back" There were once 11 runs of salmon on that river. There are still runs of coho on the river. I went to the dam over the weekend and counted over 60 fish stacked up at the base of the dam waiting, in vain, to migrate up river to spawn.
The idea is to save what run are left. It could take up to 30 years to have them fully restored. I will be 73. I think I could still make run at that age.
But it more then just about the fish. The gravel and sand that would get washed down in a normal season would bolster the beach and provide beds for clams. That doesn't happen any more. The dead carcases of salmon would provide nutrients to the tidal water supplying food for other fish and crab populations. (love them crabs) But before this all starts the Park system has to build 2 new water systems for the city of P.A. and the Elwha tribe has to build a waste water plant because the river will flood septic systems. And it goes on. So it has been pushed back until next year to start. (it was to start this year in the fall by releasing water from glinescanyon dam, lake mills) Someday it will all happen.
I am stilling learning all about it. Really interesting.

The Elwha fish were unusually large---kings over 50 pounds were not uncommon.
Damn shame the dams are still in place.

We drove past the Elwha Friday, a pretty little river, hope I live long enough to fish Elwha for the big kings----if there's any left to pass on the genes.