Elwha River dams topic of conservationist’s talk in Port Angeles tonight
Published 12:01 am Thursday, June 11, 2015
PORT ANGELES — A salmon conservation consultant and author will discuss removal of dams from the Elwha River and habitat restoration at 6:30 tonight.
The free presentation will be at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 South Peabody St.
In “Half Empty or Half Full? A Balanced Rationale about Dam Removal,” Dennis Dauble, a member of the 2015 Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, will address the economic, social and ecological risks and rewards of dam removal.
The program also will include an examination of the history of dam construction in the Pacific Northwest, emphasizing water storage and hydroelectric projects that have accompanied population growth in the 20th century.
The two dams on the Elwha River were removed as part of a $325 million restoration project to bring the river back to a wild state.
Background
Dauble is the author of Fishes of the Columbia Basin, which he published in 2009 after a 35-year career as a fisheries scientist at Battelle’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
He now teaches at Washington State University in Richland while consulting on expert panels relating to salmon conservation.
Dauble’s presentation is part of an ongoing series of programs at the Port Angeles Library exploring the Elwha River’s story, presented in conjunction with a new traveling exhibit from the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.
“Elwha: A River Reborn” will be on view at the library through Aug. 29.
Based on a book of the same name, the exhibit explores the people, places and history behind a remarkable story—and the largest dam removal project ever undertaken.
The exhibit is made possible by the support of the Port Angeles Friends of the Library.
For more information about the presentation or the Elwha River exhibit, phone 360-417-8500 or email nglaude@nols.org.
For more about programs at the library, see www.nols.org.
