Elwha River

The largest part of the river is located in the Olympic National Park.

Etymology

The origin of the name is uncertain Elwha. It could be a corruption of the name e ilth quath ( āīlth'q - u ȧ tt) from the language of the Quileute. According to another theory it is derived from the word for the Klallam Wapiti, elkwah, or from the name of Klallam - village that once was located on the banks of the river. The first documented use of the name for the Elwha River is Henry Kelletts map of 1846.

Renaturation

In the lower reaches of the river there are two dams, both of which are to be dismantled. The Elwha Dam in 1910 at river kilometer 8 and the Clines Canyon Dam in 1927 at river kilometer 21 are since September 2011 demolished in a three-year project and the original water regime produced on over 70 km of back that are not yet accessible to aquatic organisms from the mouth ago. In Elwha live five species of Pacific salmon, including chinook salmon. They should benefit from the restoration of the river. Instead of about 3,000 copies in the long term about 400,000 spawning salmon of all species unrepresented in the area are expected after the restoration of permeability for fish. The restoration also has special meaning for the Indians of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, which subsequently should receive land outside the national park, which had previously been covered by any of the reservoirs. The affected Valley Presents according to their myths the origin of their people dar. addition, salmon and other migratory fish play a big role in their traditions. In summer 2012, rising fish have already been observed in the river, in August 2012 they reached the first time the national park, so that the re-colonization could run faster than expected. In September, 2013, after the complete demolition of the lower dam, over 1200 Chinook salmon have been counted above the former dam. It also tributaries of the Elwha River were resettled in the now accessible section of the river.

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