How The Largest Dam Removal Of All Time Brought An Entire Ecosystem Back From Extinction!
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- The largest dam removal in U.S. history took two decades of planning, two dam complexes, the Elwha damn and Glines Canyon Dam located on an important river in Washing state were successfully removed allowing the cold clear waters of the Elwha river to flow freely once again
NOW, after ten years, the results are remarkable, the river is returning to its former glory, fish numbers are steadily bouncing back from near extinction, bears, cougars, bobcats, mink, and other wildlife sustained by the renewed food source have increased in abundance.
Native plants are reclaiming the riverbanks and restored forests are establishing themselves on the emptied reservoirs that were behind the damns
where the river meets the pacific ocean, a new beach has been created by the silt and sand that can now flow freely downstream which had been backed up in the dams for over a century
A new estuary habitat has formed spanning across 120 acres and its increasing year on year
Making the river Elwha dam removal project a true success story and case study in the recovery and restoration of a wild river.
Its only in recent times people are beginning to realize that dams bring more problems than they will solve. They severely damage ecosystems by stopping the movement of migrating fish and blocking silt movements. Hydro-power dams flood large areas, force people to relocate, threaten freshwater biodiversity, disrupt subsistence fisheries, and leave rivers dry - substantially affecting the ecosystem. They can completely destroy the natural ecosystems that hundreds of other species depend on. Embankment and concrete dams have a lifespan of about 100 years, and they become dangerous from the pressure of all the water they contain causing costly repairs that are increasingly hard to justify as seen by the recent catastrophic devastation in Libya when ten of thousands of people lost their lives when two damns failed.
Which is why dam removal is surging all cross the U.S. In 2020 69 dams were removed, reconnecting more than 430 upstream river miles across 20 states and since 1912 at least 2,025 dams have been removed.
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I grew up by the Elwha River. I remember canoeing with my father on the lake behind the Glines Canyon dam, and camping in two campgrounds now wiped out by the new course of the river. Good childhood memories, but the free-flowing Elwha will provide better memories for today’s families.
Great perspective!
💚
Why was the camps wiped out, did they move the river
@@MrJeep75 The river moved itself after it was allowed to flow freely. Wild rivers do that.
This can be done with some dams. There are many small dams that provide no benefits to humans. This cannot be done for a large portion of dams. We need them
Several small local dams were removed in the Fall about twelve years ago. Naysayers said it would take years for the sediment to disperse. By Spring the river was clear and beautiful and fish were free to live as they were meant to live.
@@RykerRallySome species don't adapt well to heavy sediment clogged rivers caused by dams. Smallmouth are a good example, we still catch them upstream from the dam but I haven't been super successful. It's night and day compared to downstream where the rivers flow is constantly excavating and depositing sediments based on flow. You're not wrong by any stretch though.
I've done some calculation work on the hydrodynamics of rivers. Let me tell you this: I learned that rivers move A LOT of water at any one time. When you factor in even small, fractional percentages of the water as containing sediments, a decently sized river can easily move a mountain of sediments in a year's time. There is no way it could ever take a river to move a massive amount of sediment in years' time -- I've watched rivers move boulders like they were pebbles.
Lets hope that so called extinct fish make a come back. Scientists have been wrong before and be wrong again.
What a beautiful sight! ♥️
Do hope the salmon return!
@@Sanchuniathon384 Especially with El nino years.
I was present for the dismantling of the White Salmon River damn in the Columbia Gorge and it is amazing really, just how little time it takes for the nature to come back. A beautiful thing to witness.
It's nice to see a positive story about the environment, sadly doesn't happen that often.
This is awesome! I remember going to the Elwa Dam not too long before it was removed. It's so good to see how much has changed.
I watched this happen from inception at the symposium at Peninsula Community College in 1995. Over $300 million to deconstruct, the results are priceless
I live in Washington State. The Elwha river was noted for having Chinook (King) salmon that were 100lbs or more. That was prior to the dams in the early 1900's I live by a river that my grand father used to fish. It feeds into Puget Sound and he used to count on catching at least a couple of 60lb Kings each year. Not anymore but the river can come back.
The dams were also originally there to help stop the flooding of the reservation at the mouth of the Elwha river
There were also salmon over 100 lbs in the Hoh and Bogachiel rivers that are not there anymore with no dams on the rivers just over fishing and over netting
@@ellsworthwhitehead2703
@@ellsworthwhitehead2703
Yeah, common to see gill nets strung across river mouths on a res in the pnw.
Bigfoot is so happy about this he doesn’t have to live month to month anymore.
Welcome back, Dear Nature!
AND GOODBYE FOREVER CHEAP ELECTRICITY!!
The best thing about this is how perfectly Nature recreates its perfect conditions. Human constructions are temporary obstructions only.
So happy they're *finally* doing something to undo the centuries of damage on our Earth!
Actually the most damage we did to earth happened only in the last century 😢 only one century and we destroyed so much
.....destroying a dam which could of powered 1000s of homes with no carbon emissions?? Yeah that isnt a good thing right?
@@catlee8064 huh? didn't you watched the video? how can these dams be anything but destructive and degenerative? don't just look at temporary things think long term bro
@@erfan4244 I am thinking long term....like using hydro (renewable energy source) rather than coal/oil fired power stations.....but by all means, let some fishes swim up stream....
So should we stop all renewable energy?
I lived across the street from where the dam was. It took a long time for all the sediment to flow out and when it did at first it caused more problems than it did good but now it looks as though everything is returning to what it was years ago. That and the beach that was created at the mouth is fantastic to walk on
amazing .. more countries should join in .. not just dams but making the planet a better place to live for every animal
I watched the doco on this dam a few years ago.
It's amazing how damaging dams and the straightening of rivers are.
Both against the ecosystem and increasing atmospheric temps.
This is such eco bullsheet. Dams prevent flooding which DESTROYS eco systems. Dams also provide water habitat just like natural lakes. You eco-ignoramus are so gullible.
Yeah, too bad they are not increasing :-)
So you are against renewable energy?
@@earlysdaWhat are you talking about? I support having dams and building more.
As long as you are now OK with burning more coal to fuel your electric car.
Dam, nice video.
Wonderful. It's just so tragic it takes decades of destruction for us to learn. At least sometimes we do. Well done.
Log jams? If you want to get the best revival possible, you have to bring in Beavers. THEY are truly a keystone species. You said the salmon are, but the salmon depend on the beavers to make sure they have a consistently deep enough stream to swim in. Without beaver dams filling the land with water they can dry out in the summer. With dams saturating the water table, rivers keep running all year. Truly a keystone species.
Well hell, why are you wasting time here in the CZcams comments? Go be one of the hundred experts actually shepherding and studying this project
@duder9752 Right back at ya! 😎
Use river turbines in place of dams!
So simple!
Now THAT I can agree with!
And remember to introduce beavers. According to the information I have, they enhance wetlands.
Yeah as they build more dams lol that we are actually trying to remove, and beavers destroy land not improve it they put levees in danger because they burrow too
We have beavers here in wa already
@@guillermoguzman8953 I’m sure anywhere where there’s a water source there will be beavers which is a good sign of a healthy environment
We just gonna ignore the flying bunny? 😂
@InsertHandleHere968 I know it is 7 months later, but I live across from an area where the bunnies play and sometimes, they jump like that! It is hilarious to see!
Free the rivers! 💙💚💙
Thank you so much for doing this! Now if we can just encourage others❤❤❤
Thank you for all that you do and having the insight to do the right thing.
It's amazing how changes that seem small can have enormous impacts. I think about the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone National Park. The reintroduction has radically changed parts of the park for the better.
Not the same. Wolves in numbers too great absolutely decimate livestock and wildlife. They are the most efficient and successful land predators. Left unchecked, they’ll eat everything to death.
You have to get some beavers in there too
And that'll only mean more dams....
Great to see Nature flourish again!!
ignorance.. so destructive, it is good to see people trying to undo the damage others have done
So renewable energy is bad?
Other people didn't know back then the consequences of building dams. Now that more is known dam projects are less likely to be approved.
@@earlysdaDid you watch the video? Coastal erosion, huge reduction in native fish populations, reduction in wildlife as a whole and the destruction of forests in the river basin are the direct results of dams.
Did you know the massive blades of those wind turbines are not the easiest to recycle? There are acres of discarded massive turbine blades that are stacked high.
The industry was quick to make them without a clue how to recycle them.
@@dps6198dps, agreed completely.
Let's do coal and nuclear responsibly in order to live decently.
@@earlysda
Nuclear is the best.
Only question is will people be COMPETENT enough to take all precautions when on duty.
Imagine letting nature take its course is usually the best thing for everything.
I loved living at the former Lake Mills. We were just one of just two families living at the dam. It was the most magical place with beautiful seasons. Thunderstorms were absolutely incredible. The two old houses were tiny but livable and cozy with a big fireplace in the middle.
This is wonderful stuff; I had no idea so many dams had already been removed. Incontrovertible examples for the rest of the world to follow!
Very nice!!
Videos like this are great news of what is happening. Specifically targeted dam removal is what can revitalize the ecosystem in so many ways. Back in the 20th century dams were built with reckless abandon without regard to the environment. Dam removal is one of the best things we can do to restore the environment.
....An environment that'll be ruined by the addition of fossil fuel-based power generation.
@@user-dj7wv5ok2x Why would that suddenly happen? We are only talking about four minor dams being removed on the Klamath River. These were old dams that had long outlived their usefulness and removing them is a net positive for the environment and the salmon population just for starters.
I am excited to go to the Elwha one day. Hopefully when the salmon are running. I am also watching as the process of removing the dams on the Klamath is proceeding. The only two dams on the Eel river are also on a path for removal. I grew up on the Wilamette River in Oregon and have seen streams filled with salmon. I cannot express the feeling that comes to me to know these rivers are being freed. One day maybe I can see streams and rivers full of fish in the northwest again.
Great video. Thanks!
Dams are great !!! We needed them back then, and could use some new ones today !
No beavers ... yet?
@@erdelegy Yeah, but the Beavers are still better! :D
Amazing transformation!
DAM! That's awesome...
I needed this good news for today!
Wonderful!
Like them or not, dams are the cleanest method of harnessing a CONSTANT and DEPENDABLE supply of electricity for the masses.
If not for hydropower, there would be coal and nuclear power plants and few people support either.
We desperately need to keep working on clean new sources of energy.
Nuclear.
@@JA-gx4hbChernobyl, Three Mile Island, SL-1, and other nuclear "disasters"....
I'd much rather stick with good-ol' hydropower!
@@user-dj7wv5ok2x nuclear power has came a long way in 40 years.
And none of this will do anything to save the salmon one fishing trawler will process 350,000 pounds a day I know I’ve worked on them. The problem for the salon is not the rivers it’s the commercial offshore fishing from Asian-American, fishing companies
And in ten years they will be building one twice as big to try and keep the lights on .
Nah they already have alternate options that were better smarter options that don’t stop salmon migrations. And I’m sure the rich folk miss their lake front property or boating but salmon survival is more important. They can drive up stream I’m sure there’s 10 more dams holding up the place.
Ever heard of fish ladders ? used around the world to give fish access to the head waters of rivers .
Glad to see the changes happening
Finally some good news.
Thanks great video
It's crazy how destructive as a species we are. It takes nature millions of years to get the ecological balance in the area just right to sustainably support life and in a moment on the scale of time we up-end all of it.
Our actions sure do you have far-reaching effects. It's nice to see that we can help bring balance rather than tipping the scales in one way or the other.
uplifting to hear some good news
A good news story. Bravo, you Folk.
Fantastic for the world! I know how wonderful it is when I have a back-up and it gets released! It is horribly sad that some fish and probably other animals went extinct from the placement of the dams, but super great that some are growing in population!
I'm so proud of my fellow Americans. Nice job
This shows how resilient the planet truly is even when man attempts to control it. No matter what humans do the planet will always eventually win so don’t worry about climate change.
That's amazing!
Great report!!!
Thanks glad you enjoy it
The same issue is on the east coast as well . The Farmington river in Connecticut use to have a huge Atlantic salmon run and theyve been trying for decades to reintroduce them unsuccessfully! The issue us the rainbow dam at its mouth going into the Connecticut river ! The dsm has a fish ladder but its the wrong design and tears the salmons belljes up and they die going over it ! The lamprey and some shad make it over though !!
It is nice to hear some good news and see positive outcomes
Another example of how the human species have harmed the world. Im glad they finally realized their huge mistake. Thanks for sharing this. I also shared this on my social media and encourage others to do so so more people can see this amazing video that enlighten us the importance of reserving and caring about our nature
Another example of how the human species have harmed the world. I'm glad they finally realized their huge mistake. - So what are you, a wombat?
@@HB-C_U_L8R lol
Gonna regret this decision is ten years, when the rains disappear.
Yes you can talk about harming the world while you use electricity to watch this on your device. If you wanted to do something for the fish, stop the over fishing of stocks by ocean going fleets.
@@MinusMedley Yeah except none of these dams help with that anymore. Their reservoirs are full of silt and do nothing to stop flooding. Letting the river scour the riverbed reduces flooding by allowing the water to actually have a channel to leave the area.
Wow it was beautiful when the dam was there
They are now looking at all the dams in the Willamette Valley, Oregon system to remove or change for the fish and other wildlife.
Very quick on those slides.
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it
Restoring the natural fish runs is well worth it. Good job folks.
Great work so far! The proces of healing and restoration can speed up by adding gravel to the decraded stream (like in the Elbe river in Europe) and dividing the river into two seperate streams (the way they did in the south of India).
Imagine the earth if we all disappeared tomorrow. Eden would be restored.
Awesome!
Let's just hope there won't be any water scarcity in the future that will make people think "Oh, i wish we had water reserves"
this dam wasnt for water reserves it was to power a small mill and only 1 third of it
Well, there other ways that just one centralised dam. Look at the Paani Foundation in India.
So proud, the Orcas will have more preferred food now. Love the vision that started this. Plz lets not take so long to do this and continue the vision with new generations of those who see the long view.. and let's NEVER again let greed dominate the natural environment, like OIL does now...
Excellent
Hallelujah!!!
Finally Ediz Hook and Dungeness Spit can recover from man.
Well dam, that's great!!
As long as you don’t use electricity or drinking water from municipal districts .
Yeaaaaah!
A good start.
How about when these dams are removed, a few of them keep their edges, along the banks of the river, with a plaque to tell their story, their construction, their service and their removal, as monuments to the changing times?
BRING BACK BEAVERS!!!
I agree I'm a big fan of beaver!
@@avid2112The one that resides between two human female legs....
Notice how harmonious the earth, humans and animals are when people don’t pollute and leave its structure alone? Leave the dam building to the beavers. That’s what they’re for. Our Creator knows what we need. 😊
great video ; its a good start at least , at first 150 dams removed in the last 3 years sounds great but then u realize there are 2000+ dams that are in danger of failing atm and need to still be removed and you realize that this is still an enormous task ahead of us
We been petitioning our govt to remove some dangerous old unused low head dams in my county, they claim a few lives a year average, there’s 5 in the county in question. They could have destroyed all 5 in 98 when we first tried, for less than $10k total, now it’s $5k-$6k each but they still say they can’t afford it
Not in Texas we seem to be adding dams in the Trinity River. We don’t have salmon but I’m sure it’s affected multiple fish species. The section around Downtown Fort Worth especially. But good work love seeing these removals especially around salmon country.
Agreed. And all those Metroplex lake house owners would definitely lobby to keep those artificial lakes in place. And the state would have increased incentive to keep those homeowners happy because it relies almost entirely on sales tax and property tax, rather than income tax, for revenue.
Questa è una bella notizia❤
This isn't the only area where obstacles for spawning salmon have been removed, and all the results are the same. That's why I'm completely stunned the city of Vancouver BC would even consider building into the water when they already know about the negative effects of the Stanley Park seawall and the city's marinas. People know, but will keep repeating the same mistakes.
For some a dollar makes nothing a mistake….
......"follow the money" always @@olyokie
Vancouver BC is owned by the Chinese now. They’ll strip the earth so long as they can be king of the ashes 😂😂😂
Really? I was just there and they still take Canadian currency.
Bigot Much?@@namedrop721
They'll strip the earth if people let them. That's where the money factor comes in. Makes me wonder who the 'bad guys' are. @@namedrop721
Thank you
The story does not speak about the Native tribe in WA state that started requests for dam removal.
Still over 90000 dams to go
Beautifull,..best invested money
I think this is brilliant.
Good luck with 1200 windmills you need to replace every 20 years. Good day for the elite and a kick in the ball to working man.
Yay! So good to see Mother Nature win a few! But I gotta wonder why these dams were built in the first place? Hydro power? Water for Ag? How is that provided for once the dams are gone?
Not only are Americas roads, bridges and rail networks in poor condition....but also their dams!
I don't know how to feel about dams. They destroy ecosystems, yet the reservoirs they create are a vital source of freshwater. The only alternatives are canals, which drain rivers and lakes completely, and desalination, which is harmful to the oceans. Rainwater harvesting is useful, but it can't provide enough water for millions of people either. How can we hydrate ourselves sustainably then? I guess we need to choose where to build dams carefully.
Probably even more important is the huge amounts of electricity they provide 24/7. Something only matched by nuclear or fossil power plants. And we're trying to stop burning stuff so all we have left is hydro and nuclear for the secure base load.
If removing a dam means using a coal fire power plant that could be worse.
@@adddude7524 I'm not worried about that because there plenty of green alternatives. Geothermal, wave, solar, wind all come to mind. Freshwater however, is a limited resource, so that honestly worries me even more.
Increase the price of water.
@@Jake-zk3eb Increasing the price of a fundamental human right is a terrible idea.
For a lot of the dam’s being removed they are serving no purpose. All they are doing is harming our waterways.
I’m convinced that dams are one of the largest causers of ecological disasters. You can even draw a correlation between the explosion in dam construction projects during the early 20th century and climate change. Of course this happened at the same time as most sources of pollution increased so it’s hard to differentiate.
Even worse are fossil-fueled power plants!
literally the dumbest comment of 24
Bringing back species we drove to extinction, like the sockeye salmon mentioned here, would be an awesome use of cloning. I'm curious if there is any effort towards that.
Oh that is fucking awesome!
Fabulous
🇺🇸🐋
thats a big dam removal.
Relative to dams like Hoover Dam or Glen Canyon the Elwha was small potatoes, but removing has huge positive consequences for the environment.
I know I’d love to do that job! It be awesome probably scary on the edge of that with an excavator chipping away with the ram hoe. But probably getting big money and doing something cool for the planet if the salmon return.
Give Up using electric power and use kerosene lamps, wood stoves, and horses.
once again America leading the free world
Into a world of total STUPIDITY....
I like along the Klamath river. If you want to bring back the salmon numbers, stop the natives from netting where the rivers feed into the ocean.
Two dams "to power a sawmill"?! So seriously f**ked up. Great to see this madness corrected......what a success.
Beautiful Video.
Thanks for visiting
Just goes to show how resilient nature is. Yes burning fossil fuels is an astronomically big piece of the puzzle, but its not the only piece.
So I guess the Hoover Dam is way beyond its life cycle?
I wondered how many people caught that as well. While I agree that if a dam has lost its importance and is no longer needed, there are a lot of them that are still being used for it intended purpose and they last way longer than 60 years. I know of some dams that are still being used and are over 100 years old.