Ex-congressman impressed by Elwha dams' removal
PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) - The former congressman who sponsored the law to tear down the two dams on the Olympic Peninsula's Elwha River says he's very impressed with the work, and that salmon have already returned to their former habitat above the dams.
Former U.S. Rep. Al Swift introduced the legislation 20 years ago to remove the century old Elwha Dam and the 85-year-old Glines Canyon Dam. He tells the Peninsula Daily News that he grew up in a generation that built dams, and it took him a while to see the logic of tearing them down.
The Democrat represented the northern parts of the peninsula from 1979 to 1993, when redistricting moved the area into a different district. Swift retired from the House of Representatives in 1995.
He toured the Elwha by land and by air last week.
The last remnants of the Elwha Dam were gone in early March, and the Glines Canyon Dam, 9 miles upstream, has been reduced to a 50-foot waterfall, with the former Lake Mills reservoir behind it almost gone.
Former U.S. Rep. Al Swift introduced the legislation 20 years ago to remove the century old Elwha Dam and the 85-year-old Glines Canyon Dam. He tells the Peninsula Daily News that he grew up in a generation that built dams, and it took him a while to see the logic of tearing them down.
The Democrat represented the northern parts of the peninsula from 1979 to 1993, when redistricting moved the area into a different district. Swift retired from the House of Representatives in 1995.
He toured the Elwha by land and by air last week.
The last remnants of the Elwha Dam were gone in early March, and the Glines Canyon Dam, 9 miles upstream, has been reduced to a 50-foot waterfall, with the former Lake Mills reservoir behind it almost gone.
They never did say how they were going to replace the million dollar a year net profit that the dam made. Oh well they might make it up in salmon.
"salmon have already returned to their former habitat above the dams."
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"Glines Canyon Dam, 9 miles upstream, has been reduced to a 50-foot waterfall"
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I want to hook the salmon that jumps a 50 foot waterfall.
 @al_wa Last I heared they had only seen one fish
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Mis guided , well meaning fools
The fish are returning to these areas, soon to be consumed by nets.
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so when all these dams are gone we will get to start using nuclear power to make up for the losses of power generating dams? what if loosing the lakes cause a water shortage or low land flooding in the winters?
 @32jim2 I will address your concerns;
1. Not a whole lot of electricity was produced, most of it was for a nearby mill.
2.Not really going to be a shortage of water on the olympic peninsula anytime soon.
3. Lowland flooding will be minimal and it is a sparsely populated area anyways.
 @KittySmasher  @32jim2 They sold a net of a million dollars a year of power, where did you get your figures?
@32jim2 umm, 'loosing'? you mean losing? study up my friend, losing these dams makes absolutely NO impact on available energy, flooding or water shortage. (loose - unattached; lose - to suffer loss)
 @jenshens  @32jim2 smart asx , but not really very