USGS science supporting the Elwha River Restoration Project
Science Center Objects
The Elwha River Restoration Project...
... has reconnected the water, salmon, and sediment of a pristine river and coast of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. Coordinated by the National Park Service, restoration of the Elwha River included the removal of two large dams that had blocked salmon and sediment passage for almost 100 years. The largest dam removal in U.S. history began in September 2011 and concluded in the summer of 2014. Salmon are once again spawning in pristine river habitats of the Olympic National Park, and sediment is once again flowing down the river and to the eroding shoreline.
The role of the USGS...
... in this restoration project is to provide scientific monitoring and analyses of the fish, waters, and sediment, before, during, and after this historic event. This work is coordinated with the Olympic National Park, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the Bureau of Reclamation, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other local and state entities.
Estimates of Sediment Load Prior to Dam Removal in the Elwha River, Clallam County, Washington
Years after the removal of the two dams on the Elwha River, the geomorphology and habitat of the lower river will be substantially influenced by the sediment load of the free-flowing river. To estimate the suspended-sediment load prior to removal of the dams, the U.S. Geological Survey collected suspended-sediment samples during water years 2006...
Curran, Christopher A.; Konrad, Christopher P.; Higgins, Johnna L.; Bryant, Mark K.
USGS River Ecosystem Modeling: Where Are We, How Did We Get Here, and Where Are We Going?
This report developed as an outcome of the USGS River Ecosystem Modeling Work Group, convened on February 11, 2008 as a preconference session to the second USGS Modeling Conference in Orange Beach, Ala. Work Group participants gained an understanding of the types of models currently being applied to river ecosystem studies within the USGS, learned...
Hanson, Leanne; Schrock, Robin; Waddle, Terry; Duda, Jeffrey J.; Lellis, Bill
Cobble cam: Grain-size measurements of sand to boulder from digital photographs and autocorrelation analyses
A new application of the autocorrelation grain size analysis technique for mixed to coarse sediment settings has been investigated. Photographs of sand- to boulder-sized sediment along the Elwha River delta beach were taken from approximately 1??2 m above the ground surface, and detailed grain size measurements were made from 32 of these sites for...
Warrick, J.A.; Rubin, D.M.; Ruggiero, P.; Harney, J.N.; Draut, A.E.; Buscombe, D. Simulating the recovery of suspended sediment transport and river-bed stability in response to dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington
U.S. Department of the Interior is planning to remove two high dams (30 and 60 m) from the Elwha River, which will allow the river to erode sediment deposits in the reservoirs, and ultimately restore the river ecosystem. Fluvial sediment transport and deposition paradoxically represent ecological disturbance and restoration. A one-dimensional,...
Konrad, C.P.
Channel Evolution on the Lower Elwha River, Washington, 1939-2006
Analyses of historical aerial photographs of the lower Elwha River, Clallam County, Washington, reveal rates and patterns of channel change in this dammed, anabranching river between 1939 and 2006. Absolute positional changes of the active-floodplain margins, which commonly exceeded 50 m over that interval, have exceeded 400 m locally. Annualized...
Draut, Amy E.; Logan, Joshua B.; McCoy, Randall E.; McHenry, Michael; Warrick, Jonathan A. Bank Topography, Bathymetry, and Current Velocity of the Lower Elwha River, Clallam County, Washington, May 2006
The removal of two dams from the mainstem of the Elwha River is expected to cause a broad range of changes to the river and nearby coastal ecosystem. The U.S. Geological Survey has documented aspects of the condition of the river to allow analysis of ecological responses to dam removal. This report documents the bank topography, river bathymetry,...
Curran, Christopher A.; Konrad, Christopher P.; Dinehart, Randal L.; Moran, Edward H. Sea-Floor Mapping and Benthic Habitat GIS for the Elwha River Delta Nearshore, Washington
From March 1531, 2005, more than 252 km (19.5 km2) of seafloor offshore of the Elwha River Delta in the central Strait of Juan de Fuca was mapped by the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program. The purpose of this nearshore mapping was to (1) obtain high resolution bathymetry and acoustic reflectance properties of the seabed, (2) examine and...
Cochrane, Guy R.; Warrick, Jonathan A.; Sagy, Yael; Finlayson, David; Harney, Jodi Baseline studies in the Elwha River ecosystem prior to dam removal: Introduction to the special issue
The planned removal of two dams that have been in place for over 95 years on the Elwha River provides a unique opportunity to study dam removal effects. Among the largest dams ever considered for removal, this project is compelling because 83% of the watershed lies undisturbed in Olympic National Park. Eighteen million cubic meters of sediment...
Duda, Jeffrey J.; Freilich, Jerry; Schreiner, Edward G. Benthic invertebrates and periphyton in the Elwha river basin: Current conditions and predicted response to dam removal
The impending removal of two dams on the Elwha River in Washington State offers a unique opportunity to study ecosystem restoration at a watershed scale. We examine how periphyton and benthic invertebrate assemblages vary across regulated and unregulated sections of the Elwha River and across different habitat types, and establish baseline data...
Morley, S.A.; Duda, J.J.; Coe, H.J.; Kloehn, K.K.; McHenry, M.L. Effects of a natural dam-break flood on geomorphology and vegetation on the Elwha River, Washington, U.S.A.
Ephemeral dams caused by landslides have been observed around the world, yet little is known about the effects of their failure on landforms and vegetation. In 1967, a landslide-dam-break flood in a pristine reach of the Elwha River valley filled the former channel and diverted the river. The reach is a reference site for restoration following the...
Acker, S.A.; Beechie, T.J.; Shafroth, P.B. Influence of dams on river-floodplain dynamics in the Elwha River, Washington
The Elwha dam removal project presents an ideal opportunity to study how historic reduction and subsequent restoration of sediment supply alter river-floodplain dynamics in a large, forested river floodplain. We used remote sensing and onsite data collection to establish a historical record of floodplain dynamics and a baseline of current...
Kloehn, K.K.; Beechie, T.J.; Morley, S.A.; Coe, H.J.; Duda, J.J. Nearshore substrate and morphology offshore of the Elwha River, Washington
The planned removal of two dams on the Elwha River, Washington, will likely increase river sediment flux to the coast, which may alter coastal habitats through sedimentation and turbidity. It is therefore important to characterize the current habitat conditions near the river mouth, so that future changes can be identified. Here we provide...
Warrick, J.A.; Cochrane, G.R.; Sagy, Y.; Gelfenbaum, G.