After Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History, This River Is Thriving | National Geographic
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2016
- June 2, 2016 - Conservationists can now point to the largest dam removal project in the U.S. as a success story. The ecosystem of Washington's Elwha River has been thriving since the removal of its hydroelectric dam system. Recent surveys show dramatic recovery, especially in the near shore at the river's mouth, where the flow of sediment has created favorable habitat for the salmon population. A new generation of salmon species, some of which are endangered, are now present in the river. Some hope that the restoration of the Elwha River will become a shining example for the removal of dams across the U.S.
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After Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History, This River Is Thriving | National Geographic
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In my state a dam which is 125 years old is a threat to 5 million people's life.But the government says that the dam is still strong...lol🤣
Kerala🔥🤣
Kerala😹🤝
Mullapperiyar 💥
Enge pathalum malayali
Unfortunately we the people itself is a comedy for the government 🥲😐
It's like no one reads around here. The fish population before the dams used to hover around 400,000. After the dams went up, that dropped to approximately 3,000. The dams, also, did not supply electricity to Port Angeles, only to the paper mill, despite the fact that both dams combined only accounted for 33% of the mill's electricity needs. The dams were also illegal, not being hooked to bedrock, and lacking fish ladders. The removal of these dams was not just about "some stupid fish," it was about restoring an ecosystem. But apparently that's not as important to some people as the dams themselves.
Dam, some people just dont get it. This was a good choice.
All that beautiful concrete destroyed. What a shame. I'm sure a bunch of hideous trees will eventually grow there.
That's because "people" in general are Stupid.
Those people are programmed cult members, selfish little people, and/or brain-dead.
What I'm saying is that they voted for Trump.
Once the
Once the Salmon are gone were next. Mankind has been eating SALMON SINCE THE BEGINING
It's nice to see people to have the courage to say: we did it wrong, now let's correct it. that's called humanity.
tell that to chyna
@@UKLIVENews2017HD4K You meant China? lol. Oh well, it's not easy for people to do that especially when they are under the regime of a dictator. That's precisely why I said that it's nice to see. Got it?
@A 1 Russia and japan laughing
You’re right. We just need everyone like that
Ya now if the rest of America would do that to throw out trump it would be great
മലയാളികൾ ഉണ്ടോ😀 ?
Und
Und
Und
I live on the Olympic Peninsula. In my opinion this is the best fish restoration project ever completed in North America. And no, I am definitely NOT a tree hugger. I spent a good portion of my youth building electrical generation facilities, (coal, biomass, natural gas and nuclear). This river had, at one time, one of the most amazing salmon runs on earth. I hope that the fish runs will be restored.
I agree wholeheartedly (I have relatives in Port Angeles and have seen the site of the Elwha Dam). Salmon are tasty, and I want them to exist for as long as possible--sure, they are ecologically very imporant, but man are they delicious.
This is the more idiot thing to do. If the do not have another solution to fish procriation than destroying a dam it is the proof that you must not listen what these specialists are saying.
Sorry about inform you.
They are just gambling you.
+Luís Augusto Panadés -I don't think you got all the information needed to make an informed decision. The dams had originally only 2 customers, a couple of paper mills. So no power was being provided to the public. One of those mills has already been demolished because of antiquated equipment and changing markets. So the removal of these dams had no net loss on the amount of power available to the electrical grid. And to top it off, the restoration of the salmon runs, which included some of the largest salmon in the world is a major gain for the people of the Northwest. You are not really trying to understand the nuances of this particular case. And I wouldn't support a poorly thought out dam removal project if it wasn't a winner for the local community. I have lived through the spotted owl debacle, and watched friends and neighbors lose careers, homes and families because of poorly though out government policies. So this isn't my first rodeo, buckwheat!
I will repeat: if these scientists can't find one way to procriate salmons better than destroying power plants then this is the reason itself to not trust them period.
How energy could be used in the region if the dam were used in public profit.
Sorry man, the first idea to a coherent man who wannas preserve the nature is kill himself. It is not fine to say that, but it is true.
The truth is painfull.
Man, you have cases but any sense. Sorry.
The case puts you blind. Africa was so preserved and what they got?
It is sad the propaganda is turning people in completly idiots with auto-destructive behavior.
Man you will lose much more with this kind of mind. Is the socialization that produced all this pain. USA has the great depression of 29, a corrupt bank fraud that fucked USA with some participation of USA government that prolong the crises with their measures.
It is so sad a so wonderfull country, like USA or Canada are entering this policies. Try URSS and you will understand how bad the things will be. You are rich and do not know. You are in heaven an complaining. The devil is doing promises and you are believing.
Solution: pay a system of fish procriation pumped by dam energy. Much much more efficient and less expensive.
But has not a green seal. Because it empower people with resources and communists (the neo-green) just limit people resources and options.
Bye bye dam.
By their very nature, hydroelectric dams tend to be built in narrow valleys without any alternative routes for sediment or fish, as to maintain a continuous flow of water through the turbines you need a significant head of water, therefore a very deep reservoir.
I'd imagine only real way to do both is to build a partial weir upstream, then take the water flowing over the weir segment (with very little sediment) and run it through a pipe into an adjacent valley with no significant watercourse and build your dam in that.
It's almost unbelievable that this got approved. It's so encouraging to see progress being made to restore some of the past damage that's been done to the environment in the Pacific Northwest.
Don't worry they build a coal powerplant to make up the power loss...
Erik M nuclear isn't bad just can be very bad if it goes wrong it causes no damages to the Eco system though no gas etc unless it blows tf up lmfao
erik is programmed by hippie teachers to be totally anti-nuclear (he can't help it - he's brain-washed). I have a little anti-nuclear common sense; when it comes to locating reactors on tectonic plate edges / earth quake zones. It's a fukushima waiting to happen.
Shroud Rehab actually nuclear power is very bad, we have no way to dispose of the toxic and radioactive waste, that will continue to be radioactive for many decades.
*many centuries or an infinite length of time, but here's the thing. Any unused fuel rods we have, must be stored in special containment areas regardless if they are spent/waste or unused/new. Once you isolate those radioactive isotopes - you better have a special place to store them, and WE DO HAVE. Environmentalist have exaggerated the problem of storing radioactive material.
I like that they have left some dam remains, they're always historically interesting and provide a focal point for stories of why they were built and difficulties involved etc.
They provide good lookout points. Would be nice to see a footbridge connect the two sides.
From England and have followed this for a number of years. The amount of science, community involvement and engineering technology was spectacular. Have read many comments and narratives about what the river and region was before and after the dams were there and gone….while I don’t have a dog in the fight…..that looks like a beautiful river, that you guys and girls should be proud of! The new narrative is ‘I was there when the dams were removed’
ഇതൊക്കെ കാണുമ്പോഴാണ് ഇവിടെ പലരെയും വല്ലാതെ സ്മരിച്ചു പോകുന്നത് 🥴🤬
നമ്മുടെ കപ്പിത്താൻ ഉള്ളപ്പോൾ എന്തിനു ഭയക്കണം കുഞ്ഞേ? 🥴
I live here and the river is looking amazing right now. It won’t be long and it will be a true treasure again.
Removed a Dam for endangered species of salmon. That's pretty damn awesome.
they remove a dam for endangered fish yet they could have build a fish ladder and the endangered fish are being commercially caught in the ocean which is just as bad as dam being in the way. in idaho 1.5 million salmon swam up these rivers a long time ago but now there is less than 100,000 swimming back to Idaho rivers, and that number is still decreasing every year. :{
Steve l simply killing off a fish species for no reason (the dams' electrical power was not being utilized) is not the same as catching fish for food. Not to mention you can't legally catch or serve an endangered species of fish in the United States...
Once the fish were no longer able to spawn there the fishery is dead in that river. Fish can't return there to spawn as they were not hatched there in the first place. Removing dams has zero impact on salmon runs unless hatchery fish are used but then it's not natural or endangered fish is it. Removing dams just make tree huggers feel good and electricity more expensive.
Supadubya The same law applys for the rest of the world. Get an education u ignorant american
Raphael Smithwick no it doesnt many parts of the world dont enforce those laws
That Time-lapse deconstruction is pretty cool. Good stuff, good to see us humans reserving some of the damage we've done.
2 Dam decomissioned for fish? Wht the fish!! 😅
Here in Kerala 126 yr dam still standing and gvt saying it's good to go...god save us! 😐
Nammude gov. alle ithalla Ithinu aappuravvum kaanikkum😆
Nammal 🌊🌊👥👥👥ozhikii pokkumbol avar jagradha vennam ennu parayyum😒😒😒
They removed the dam for fish..... Our government doesn't care about 5 million lives 🙁
Well youtube is suggesting all dam related vedios to mallus😂
Exactly😂
Satyam 🥺🥺😂😂
Decommissioning dam to restore the salmon species, in my state millions of life are at stake and no initiative is taken against the dam. The dam is 126 years old and deteriorating ☹️
Save Kerala # Decommission Mullaperiyar dam🙏
The Olympic peninsula is so gorgeous. I'm here in Northern California in 2024 observing the removal of multiple dams along the Klamath River (now the largest dam removal ever in U.S. history),, realizing that the valleys that were once reservoirs have the same potential to rebound just like the Elwha! I've spent many a weekend up the Elwah, and I'm so happy to see this kind of recovery!
This nearly brings me to tears,quite inspiring and we need good news today!
Thank you so much for your obvious caring for our mother!
Look at those little workers🧌🐜
Nice to see something given back to the environment.
Very impressed with how much she knows about the local ecosystem there
The person who executed the mission needs to be awarded. Brilliant idea and courage act God bless all those people involved in the project
lol
Wonderful to see. This needs to happen to dams/resovoirs all over the world.
Ando Servis You can do your part by not using power at your house.
Kenny Rodger Solar panels....
Ando Servis I'm assuming that you're trying to communicate to me that your house runs solely on solar panel power. That's a good start.
I love these types of videos. Very peaceful and arms you with knowledge.
I caught my one and only Dolly Varden trout (good size) on a wet fly in the lake formed behind the dam. That lower lake used to have giant black salamanders swimming around underwater near the shady banks. The lake was beautiful. Getting rid of the dams will be an obvious long term gain though. Elwha used to grow giant Chinook salmon. Hope they return along with big steelhead.
The Elwa is running wild again, she's already reclaimed campgrounds and blown out the road in a couple of places.....absolutely beautiful walk from the gate to the dam overlooks.....
The last section talking about the sediment and delta is very underrated. A lot of the beaches in florida are eroding away and one cause is the dams in SC/GA/NC that are stopping Appalachian sediment from reaching the ocean and later the beaches.
Always so many experts in the comment sections.
Lewis Moore thanks, me too
expert is not a legitimate profession. everybody can call themselves expert
The video has 3.1m views, you would expect a few so called experts in whatever field it was.
😂
WOW...what a fantasic result. Nature put back to how it should be. Excellent.
Amazing. Just for the salmon! 👏 My respect
it is so great l feel proud of America this is what make America great congrats America
Sure, who needs electricity anyways?
these videos are fascinating, and yet so few views
agree!!! so much !
If you watch a video straight after it has been uploaded.. Then of course it doesn't have much views!
So your saying it should be dumbed down with dubbed in rock cords and suspense music and BS drama with impending disaster at every turn.
That's what Discovery channel had to do. They had to trailer park the channel cause we are being burdened in society with children minds with short attention spans and little skills of comprehension.
Lol. "Trailer Park it". Yes indeed.
They'd get more views if they put boobs in the thumbnail.
This river hosted some of the largest Chinook salmon record, called the Tyee. Some, I believe, approached 100 pounds. Salmon are a sustainable, renewable, nutritious source of food, and incredibly beneficial to the whole ecosystem. If I had only two choices, food or power generation, I'd take food. It should be noted to the whiners out there that these dams in particular were no longer supplying Port Angeles with power, and they had only one customer--a paper mill that, I believe, only got 15 percent of its power from these dams. Why were they taken down? Well, primarily because they were illegal. They were inside a national park and did not meet certain requirements. Secondly, it was deemed more expensive to bring them up to code than to simply tear them out, since they were obsolete anyway.
Well said. These kids don't know anything
Exactly. They were "obsolete". Modern Dams are built with technology that deals with the sediment transfer downriver and allows for fish and other species to travel upriver. Therefore modern dams are more ecological than old dams. Dams are a sustainable way to obtain cheap energy (with high EROEI of 10 or greater) while oil, gas and nuclear are not sustainable.
Sorry but with a bit of it's energy a sediment transfer can be easly implemented. Sorry sorry to inform you. You are wrong in your conclusions.
And, what the fuck means "sustainable". Man, stop talking boldshit. Something told you that concept and you are repeating.
It is a beautifull world but means nothing. Is is just a way to deal with credulity of good people, it is a way to gamble you.
Luís Augusto Panadés
You've completely missed the point, both times, and seem to not know any of the history of these two particular dams. The scientists know how fish ladders can be built into old dams. They know how dams can be built with ecological concerns in mind. The problem lies not with them, but with the builders of the dam and the entities funding the building and retrofitting of dams. The owners of these two dams were given a price to bring the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams up to code (which included fish passage). The cost, in order to gain relicensing, was more than the cost of taking the dams down. Because these dams were not being fully utilized, and did not need to be fully utilized since power for PA was being purchased from elsewhere, they were not profitable enough to justify the cost the retrofit. Thus, the owners concluded it was a better decision to remove them, since they could not be relicensed as they were.
Dude, I'm not even getting into the Native issues regarding these dams, which flooded their sacred sites and forced relocation. The Natives have been abused physically and politically from that whole mess, for the better part of a century.
Do a little research of your own before you call other people stupid, and end up looking stupid yourself. Don't assume that my opinions regarding THESE dams are the same as for ALL dams everywhere. The SAD truth, as you keep trying to point out, is in fact that many of these old dams can't be fixed for any reasonable price to address ecological concerns. Another sad fact is that dam owners are often too cheap to CARE, either about old dams or dams they are pushing to build now. That's greed and ignorance for you. This has nothing to do with the fact that modern dams CAN build in these ecological measures during the planning phase. With many dams, it doesn't have to be an either/or situation. A little planning, and compromise with the scientists who most definitely know their shit, and dams can be built.
I'm also getting the impression that you know next to nothing about salmon ecology. What are these "inexpensive" methods of salmon reproduction you keep mentioning?
Also, since socialism has nothing to do with this discussion, I'm going to politely decline researching the Soviet Union unless we start talking about salmonids in the Hucho genus.
All those ecological concerns are too often abused by groups who just want publicity and money. I have seen development of those fish friendly devices on river that was changed to irrigation channel and bit later utilized for production of electricity. Those so called fish ladders that crippled ability of power plants effectively produce are hardly used by anything that have fins. As well those same groups pushed for creation of reservations that were created illegally, against laws that were in effect by that time, and now require insane things for everything from highway to garden shed.
That is grim reality of "ecology" those people too often hate mankind and would do everything just to make themselves feel better by destroying other. I have not seen, save for very few old men, any of them doing or fining way how reduce impacts while level of well being is saved or increased. But I have seen many restrictions in name of ecology that crippled living and freedom of other. None of "eco" groups ever provided working model for renewable energetics neither just for electricity, but they require money for their experiments that when used for conventional NPP would secure all electricity and bit more. That's one thing.
Other is if national reservation was founded AFTER construction of those dams, they have to count with that fact and not try to change it. It would be very interesting whether measurable gains, thus things that we can compare and we can compare only revenues saved money will in some "short (20-30years)" period highly surpass eventual revenues that could be done from either paper or exported electricity at any form. (I think with advancing technology of E-gas they could be utilized at full again).
If those groups and people who are behind this destruction want do anything that will really help, they would let those dams to their destiny and start solving real problems. Hmm, what about seminaries about drop watering of crops down in California? What about reforestation of dust bowl states? And what about better management of Niagara river? Is doing something about more, much more problematic situations really out of their power or they are just hypocritical?
Excellent decision worth emulating
That time lapse was beyond cool
I live twenty minutes away, it's been a pretty cool undertaking.
follow up video?? What's it like now??
And it looks CLEAN
Really a milestone in human endeavors for species conservation...
I used to live by that dam! I even heard the explosions go off when they were blowing it up!
A really positive step toward restoring our ecosystem...lets hope it's not too late for honeybees!!!!
Man, stop talking boldshit. Thinking in restoring ecosystem and you will conclude you are not part of it. So, explaining: it conducts to your elimination the same way like they destroy that dam.
So restoring the ecosystem comprehends taking you out, completly, of the system. Oh oh. You just don't thought enough to conclude how it is obvious.
This things are dumbing people that repeat the greatests sillies things like was real thruths.
Luís Augusto Panadés What are you talking about?
You are an idiot.
+ganymedeIV4 lol. I think so too
Well they on the endangered list now
God bless America 👍👍👍 love from India
Beautiful landscape 😍
Gratitude of OMNI LOVE for bring this to NOW!
Beautiful nature ❤️
Gosh darn that tear down time laps what's far too quick! Can we have the hour version plz 😃
I used to stand on that dam when I lived out in Washington. I miss the mountains.
really need this for the mekong too
Heartening to see the govt heeding environmental concerns. Way to go USA
Always has been since 1900s
Awesome, i saw a video of the dams destroyed when i was in middle school. Fast forward to college and glad to see it may be going good!
Hi,I loved this dam removal,well done,
I hope at least a few projects like this are being undertaken in the Mississippi delta to help the river flow a little better again. Imagine seeing bits of Louisiana coastline reappearing out of the deep, like the mouth of the Elwha here.
0:32 The fish voiceover is amazing
Lol
LOVE THE TEAR DOWN VIDEO!!!
Amazing time lapse
dam it!
Water have we here....
@kyle7412 I like what you did there.
Good to see that the nature has won back it's original health. We will all benefit from that !
Also, the modern small scale water vortex turbines do not require a dam. We now know how to generate hydro power without making dams, if we use running water instead of blocking all the river.
The trick now is to get them to generate enough power for large cities like Seattle and Portland. Our dams along the Columbia aren't going to be removed anytime soon since we ship some of the electricity to Northern California. We produce too much hydroelectricity in this region.
Right on! And for hectacre of water, they are vastly more effecient
In stream hydro is going to be a lot less electricity. I'm for removing dams but there's a consequence. Use less power.
Always a delight to see people that care about our planet.
Hoping that we can get a grip on global warming as easily and get it turned around.
Clean air for humans and animals.
Most people don't realize contaminants in the air ultimately end up in the ground and the water system. So we must clean the air.
amazing video, great to hear science and biology won. Such a great step towards bettering our ecosystem.
I used to pass that dam all of the time to go to the hot springs in the mountains. I miss that place
This is wonderful to see. I think of dams as a stopgap measure to address freshwater needs. It would be great if we can someday advance to the level where we don't need dams at all anymore.
Yeah we don't need water ran into are homes neither we can haul all the water to wash are clothes take showers and do are dishes as long as them nooked can swim all off this for a fish
Thank you!
love time elapse photography, you see so many more details
"Release the river!!!"
This needs to happen across the U.S. and Canada! I fully support the removal of dams!!!
It doesn't do much of anything for dwindling salmon runs unfortunately
Excellent time lapse! Thanks. Almost too fast.....
Conflict, resolution and constant Improvement can never be stopped.
I’m curious about what came about the ecosystem upstream
Good use of heavy equipment.
Largest dam removal ever? That is the smallest dam I have ever seen in my life.
Thank you.
Nothing is more important than nature
It's easy to be the biggest when it's the only one. Actually It was quite a small dam and it would not surprise me if it had outlived its useful life. When these small dams silt up they lose their ability to produce power reliably and their ability to reduce flooding. Now with proper fish ladders and a way to "mine" the accumulated soil we might be able to enjoy all these benefits and recreation.
I'm blown away at the scenery at 3:00... Must make a trip to Washington
This is why humans are awesome. We have the capacity to do good just as much as we have to do evil.
Destruction is Evil
Gee, blocking a river is bad for everything down stream? who woulda thunk it!
Kind of works in Brisbane blocking the Brisbane river. That way floods can be handled better are don't become so dire, also it gives us drinking water. But I guess who needs town water when they can buy Mt Franklin in plastic bottles from Coca Cola?
To subdue nature is mans crowning achievement. The poor little beavers do their best on the job but what do they know right.
Who's Gee? P
@@milogumball5755 "flood handling" look at what is happening in china. simply not true.
.. and upstream, too. I'd love to see more dams come down, especially in Oregon.
Really beautiful and wonderful action.
i'myourfather I'm pretty sure they used tax dollars, and that's no problem
+i'myourfather mismanagement of tax usage does not justify its impacts for the sake of saving money.
Can't Liberals leave anything alone??
Define "liberal".
Love the timpelaspe
That was really cool!
I give you guys 4 THUMBS UP! for the people who's been working on this project...Love from Malaysia...I would have a request that NatGeo team would come down to Malaysia and seek the worst part of our country and try to investigate the source and help us restore ecosystem that we ruined for many years...teach the locals what is good and what is not...i hope you guys would see this tiny comment... :)))
Removal of four dams on the Klamath may start in 2022. One is in Oregon, the rest in California.
I really hope that goes through.
Letting rivers flow is essential
Thank God for people restore
this woman is amazing and deserves a raise x10
RELEASE THE RIVER ! - Treabeard, 1445 3th age.
I been there before it was taken down and also after it’s crazy too see how much water is gone
Educational thanks for sharing
Absolutely stoked to see something positive being done.
We need to stop the destruction of these dams.
Surely you jest!! Dam removal is about reclaiming the environment to its former balance and beauty. Dams ultimately outlive their usefulness in other ways due to siltation behind the dam diminishing its effectiveness.
These two dams only provided power to the paper mills (2 and then 1). They were no longer needed and had out lived their lifespan. Would have cost too much to update, it was cheaper to remove the dams and start working towards restoring the watershed.
@@michaeldeierhoi4096 What will you drink when the rivers dry up? God created us and gave us the knowledge to sustain ourselves,damming rivers is just that,water is mandatory for our survival,if we don't dam we don't save,are you going to drink fish? Come on please make some sense.
No they need to keep happening. Restore the environment to the way it once was!
Dam were always a bad idea, supported by characters of poor judgement and delusion
peeps, top this is really awhsome issue =]
the sound effects were a nice touch
wow that's amazing
No words for them did an epic work
this reminds me of Frozen 2, anybody from 2019 that has watched the movie?
Can't wait to go fishing there
This is awesome!
As a progressive and life-long Washington resident, I’m rather pleased to interject that Slade Gordon was the Republican politician that made made this project possible. Yes, it’s a green issue, but couldn’t we.put a big pause here on the partisanship issue? Thank you.
Good comment but of course an extreme anomaly. To those people, Capitalism is almost always too sacred to compromise for anything, even the Earth's ability to support life.
Now that the dam is removed, what form of power generation was it replaced with?
Your an idiot, all that plant was providing power for was a lumber mill
Level Joe a pedel bike from 1856 and a alternator from a 2018 Chevy Tahoe and you waking up and pedelling 5 k every day.
Awesome. I was just talking about removing dams and how they were causing DROUGHTS and could help with flooding🌎🌏. That is so awesome to hear‼️
i just saw Dam Nation. I really had no idea.
me too, good documentary