Groups rush to fix Washington’s ‘dam’ problem

It wasn’t long ago that Americans celebrated their ability to “conquer” nature.

Innovation allowed builders to re-route rivers by building dams — they cleared land, routed drinking water and created artificial lakes. Throughout the 50s and 60s three dams were built a day on average — humankind defeated nature, or so we thought.

In recent years there has been a growing push to remove dams — in Washington, we’re undergoing what some refer to as a dam diet.

“It’s amazing,” said April McEwen, a river restoration manager with American Rivers, “and it should be celebrated.”

McEwen is overseeing one of the two dam removal projects taking place in the Seattle metro area. Even in the middle of a pandemic, work is being done —underscoring why dam removal is so important: water quality could improve, salmon population could increase after dwindling for years , and conditions for suffering resident orcas could improve.

The Nooksack Dam

The Nooksack Dam is one of the latest removal projects. Originally built to deliver water to the City of Bellingham, there has long been a push to find an alternative source so that the river could be restored. McEwen’s project involved finding a new way to deliver water while freeing up the dam for removal, allowing an additional 16 miles of spawning ground for endangered fish like Chinook salmon.

“You see complaints like, ‘We’re going to demolish a dam for fish?’” said McEwen. “People feel like they’re losing something, that’s the perception, but you’re not taking anything away — you’re gaining it all.”

By removing the Nooksack Dam , it’s estimated that salmon runs could recover by 30%. At a time that Washington is witnessing dwindling salmon runs despite tens of millions of dollars worth of projects, those types of numbers draw attention.

The Pilchuck Dam

In the Granite Falls area, a similar project is set to remove the old Pilchuck Dam.

In the early 1930s, the dam was built to deliver drinking water to Snohomish, but the city stopped using the dam for water more than two years ago.

Nearly 100 years since the dam was built, it no longer has a purpose, but it continues to contribute to low flows, higher water temperatures, and a gigantic wall blocking more than 30 miles of pristine habitat for salmon.

The Puyallup River

While some dams are easier to remove, Washington also has a large hydro-power profile, making a “one size fits all” approach unlikely.

The Electron Dam, for instance, produces enough energy to power 20,000 homes. It’s also the reason the Puyallup River landed at No. 4 on the “Most Endangered Rivers” list published annually by American Rivers.

The dam’s operator has stocked ponds with salmon, releasing fish by the thousands in April of this year. There is another recovery project in the works, but the dam landed the Puyallup River on American Rivers list because of estimates that as many as 40% of salmon die crossing it.

The numbers don’t surprise those that know the water. Archie Cantrell is a member of the Puyallup Tribe who also works as a commercial fisherman. He grew up on stories of salmon so plentiful you could walks across their backs to cross the river.

“The river has been important to our people since the beginning of time,” said Cantrell. “We always want to plan for our future generations, which is why this is a little unsettling that we’re having this decline.”

Cox Media Group