Hyrdroelectric Dams: Interior Favors Removing Elwha River Dams, but Who Should Pay Is Undecided
U.S. General Accounting Office. 1992. Hyrdroelectric Dams: Interior Favors Removing Elwha River Dams, but Who Should Pay Is Undecided. U.S. General Accounting Office. Washington, DC
The Department of the Interior's position is that in order to restore fisheries in the Elwha River, the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams need to be removed from the Elwha River. This position was developed within the Office of the Secretary of the Interior with input from the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. In a June 12, 1991, letter to FERC about pending applications for relicensing the Glines Canyon Dam and initial licensing of the Elwha Dam, interior stated its position and justified it on the basis of inherent obligations to (1) ensure restoration of all species of anadromous fish to their fromer habitat within the Elwha River basin, (2) ensure restoration of the ecosystem in the Elwha River basin, including the Olympic National Park, which encompasses one of the two dams, and (3) facilitate access of resident Indian tribes to their usual and accustomed fishing places, as required under U.S. treaty obligations with the tribes.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- U.S. General Accounting Office
- Date of Issue
- 1992-06
- Publisher
- U.S. General Accounting Office
- Units
- OLYM
- Keywords
- anadromous fisheries, Dam Removal, Elwha River Watershed, Restoration