Removal of two dams on Washington’s Elwha River will begin no later than 2011, thanks to $54 million in federal economic recovery funds for which American Rivers advocated. The largest dam removal in the nation’s history, was originally scheduled to begin in 2012.

The funds will go toward preliminary activities necessary to prepare for dam removal, – first authorized by Congress in 1992.  The new timeline for removal of the 210-foot high Glines Canyon Dam and 108-foot high Elwha dam will provide momentum for the effort to restore Puget Sound by 2020.

“Using economic recovery dollars to restore a free-flowing Elwha River is a win-win for the river, salmon, and local communities,” said Brett Swift, Northwest regional director of American Rivers.  “The project will create jobs, restore salmon and steelhead to some of the best habitat anywhere, and create an unprecedented opportunity to study the science of river restoration.”

Removing the dams will give salmon and steelhead access to 70 miles of pristine habitat in Olympic National Park for the first time in nearly 100 years. Eighty-three percent of the Elwha River lies within the park boundary.  By 2030, hundreds of thousands of salmon and steelhead should return to the river each year, giving a significant boost to sport and commercial fishing industries and providing a key food source for endangered Puget Sound orcas.

American Rivers has advocated for the restoration of the Elwha River for years and pushed at both the state and national level for including the removal of the Elwha dams in the recovery package. American Rivers also helped secure over $6 billion in economic recovery funds for clean water, green infrastructure, and river restoration nationwide.

In early May, the Mountaineers were well represented at a gathering of approximately 500 passionate advocates for the Green River who recognized Wolf Bauer and his leadership in protecting the Green River Gorge.  Wolf Bauer was one of the co-founders of the Washington Kayak Club in the days when it was called the Washington Foldboat Club.

The occasion was the 24th Annual Green River Clean-Up, an event organized by Friends of the Green, in which the Mountaineers have participated for many years. At the conclusion of the Clean-Up, the lodge at Flaming Geyser State Park was renamed in Wolf’s honor.

The WKC was founded in 1948 as the Washington Foldboat Club by Wolf Bauer and the purposes of the club were:

• To promote public good will and understanding of the paddle sport and foster its safe development in the Pacific Northwest.
• To encourage exploration and recreational use of rivers and other waters by offering training and instruction, by developing and providing expert leadership, and by scheduling trips throughout the year.
• To encourage, aid and give direction to conservation of water resources and adjacent lands for recreational purposes.

Wolf Bauer, now 97 years old and residing in Anacortes, came out for the day and presented a slide show of his early explorations of river canyons in Washington State and his first journey into the Green River Gorge. (More on Wolf Bauer and the Mountaineers at:  http://www.mountaineers.org/NWMJ/05/051_Bauer1.html.)

Wolf’s work is recognized in a State statute which states in part:  “The area, a unique recreational attraction with more than one million seven hundred thousand people living within an hour’s driving time, is presently used by hikers, geologists, fishermen, kayakers and canoeists, picnickers and swimmers, and those seeking the solitude offered by this unique area... A twelve mile strip incorporating the visual basins of the Green River from the Kummer bridge to Palmer needs to be acquired and developed as a conservation area to preserve this unique area for the recreational needs of the region.”

Tom Steinburn told stories of the first kayak trip down the Green River Gorge, an exploratory first descent more than 50 years ago that took the group two days, but now takes experienced paddlers only a few hours.

King County Council Member Larry Phillips also came out to address the group. As Chair of the Growth Management Committee, Councilor Phillips sponsored the motion to endorse the “Green River Gorge Mountains to Valley Greenway” which was subsequently passed by the County Council in a unanimous vote. The Mountaineers has joined the coalition to support this project, which is currently being coordinated with the assistance of the National Parks Service Rivers and Trails Program.

[Editor’s note:  Thanks to Tom O’Keefe for the “Heads-Up!” on this event!]