Elwha River Fish Restoration Plan Developed Pursuant to the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act, Public Law 102-495

In 1992 the U.S. Congress enacted the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act (Public Law 102-495). The Elwha Act provided funding for the federal acquisition of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams and required a specific plan to achieve full restoration of the Elwha River ecosystem and fisheries. The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI et al. 1994) subsequently published the Elwha Report, which found that only through removal of both dams could full restoration be achieved. The need to protect users of the river’s water from adverse impacts of dam removal was also recognized. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT), Olympic National Park (ONP) of the National Park Service, the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service) worked together to develop the scientific framework for restoring the ecosystem and fisheries on the Elwha River. This technical memorandum presents that framework, known as the Elwha River Fish Restoration Plan (EFRP or the Elwha Plan).