The Elwha Dam Removal began in 2011. The Elwha River will run free for the first time in 100 years. Elwha River salmon will once again return to their ancestral home. The Elwha River dam removal is the first step in the overall restoration of the Elwha River watershed. For a century, the Elwha’s main lifeline - it’s salmon - were denied entry to the place they once called home. Those salmon are a keystone species for the Elwha, recycling vital nutrients from the ocean all throughout its watershed and supporting an incredible diversity of life. With the Elwha dam removal, the ecosystem can once again flourish. But the Elwha River restoration is important from more than just an ecological perspective. The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe have relied on the Elwha River for thousands of years, but suffered immensely when the dams were built. They will once again have access to their ancestral home. The Elwha River dam removal also represents a change in mindset. The utilitarian conservation ideals of Hetch Hetchy, along with a multitude of big Western dams, represent a view of our natural resources which is now beginning to change. More viewpoints are being heard and more interests are being served - and the Elwha dam removal embodies that shift. With the restoration, nature will once again take hold in the Elwha. Enjoy. You can check out my Hetch Hetchy video here: https://youtu.be/pu2xZTCw7xw and my Glen Canyon video here: https://youtu.be/XSaa_KxVYSs National Park Diaries is now on PATREON. You can support the channel here: https://www.patreon.com/nationalparkdiaries

Breaching the four Lower Snake River dams would lead to the largest salmon recovery effort in history— invigorating Idaho's economy and honoring Indigenous treaty rights while carrying on the Northwest legacies of clean energy and fertile farmland.

COVENANT OF THE SALMON PEOPLE: is a 60 minute documentary portrait of the Nez Perce Tribe’s ancient agreement with salmon and follows their efforts to uphold this relationship as dams and climate impacts threaten the extinction of species and a cornerstone of culture.

Steve Hawley, author of 'CRACKED: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World', explores the ramifications of the extraordinary dam building boom of the last century that culminated in 800,000 dams worldwide today. What impact are they having on biodiversity loss, heat buildup and aridification of the land? He is joined in conversation by author and essayist David James Duncan and Beth Lambert, Director of the Division of Ecological Restoration in Massachusetts. This talk is co-produced with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate. - Contents of the video - 0:00:00 - Introduction 0:00:40 - Welcome Remarks 0:04:34 - Welcome Steve Hawley 0:17:25 - Welcome David James Duncan 0:26:08 - Welcome Beth Lambert/Conversation Start 0:57:50 - Closing GBH Forum Network ~ Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas Like us:https://www.facebook.com/gbhforumnetwork/ Tweet with us: https://twitter.com/GBHForumNetwork See our complete archive here: http://forum-network.org

RES is leading a massive restoration effort integral to the largest dam removal and river renewal project in US history – a task vital to the future of several imperiled salmon populations on the West Coast. This film, Restoring Balance, reveals the scope and scale of the massive Klamath River Renewal Project restoration unfolding on the Klamath River. Woven together, the collective efforts of hundreds of experts, from engineers and hydrologists to local tribes, will transform this landscape into a clean, free-flowing river that will once again support one of America’s greatest fisheries. Swiftwater Films, headed up by Emmy award winning filmmaker Shane Anderson, was commissioned by RES to create this short film to capture the importance of salmon to Tribes in the Klamath Basin and what the restoration effort will look like after dam removal. Released in Spring 2023, the 15-minute film has already earned multiple awards.

Virtual screening of Our Sacred Obligation, accompanied by discussion with Indigenous leaders from the film about the ongoing movement to restore salmon to abundance: 🎤 Frances Charles, Chairwoman of Elwha Klallam Tribe 🎤 Amy Cordalis, Principal, Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group 🎤 Darrell Hillaire, Executive Director of Children of the Setting Sun 🎤 Jay Julius, Executive Director of Se’Si’Le This screening was made possible with the generous support of: Save our wild Salmon, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife Natural Resources Defense Council, Idaho Conservation League and Washington Conservation Action. Our Sacred Obligation recounts the history of the Yurok Tribe’s struggle against the colonization of the Klamath River, which has sustained them since time immemorial. A land reclamation project and a series of dams have brought the Klamath River salmon populations to the brink of extinction. But the Yurok are fighting back. Propped up by their ancestors, and the recent success of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe on the Elwha River, the Yurok are using their sovereignty to fulfill their sacred obligation to bring the dams down and restore the river. For more information about the Salmon People Project, please visit www.salmonpeopleproject or follow along on IG: https://www.instagram.com/salmonpeopleproject/ or FB: https://www.facebook.com/salmonpeopleproject

Carolina Caycedo Reciprocal Sacrifice, 2022 Single channel, HD Video, 12.40 min, sound and color Caycedo’s film, Reciprocal Sacrifice, takes viewers on the journey of a salmon seeking to return to its spawning grounds in the Sawtooth Mountains. The salmon narrates the challenges it faces as it swims upstream and tells of the heating of the water in the lakes, creeks and rivers in the Snake River Basin. With voiceovers by members of the Nez Perce Tribe, viewers learn of the salmon’s generosity in sustaining people and ecosystems over generations. Caycedo writes, “this performative generosity is at the core of regional indigenous survival, their 20th-century fight for fishing rights and self-governance…. The film looks to highlight the cosmological story concerning self-sacrifice, generosity, love and gratitude enjoining us to care for salmon-human relations and inviting humans to take the turn to self-sacrifice in order to save the salmon relative.”

Salmon, an icon and backbone of the Pacific Northwest, has a way of bringing people together. Since time immemorial, the salmon has been respected for its strength and selflessness. It is considered a vital and sacred element of the environment, intertwined with healthy landscapes and the cultural identity of many tribes. In the past, salmon were a common and plentiful sight as they migrated upstream to spawn. However, salmon populations have been rapidly declining for decades, especially in the Snake River where a series of dams block the species’ safe passage. Special guest Chairman Samuel N. Penney spoke about how the Nez Perce Tribe (Nimiipuu) are working to change that. They have been leaders in the fight to breach the four lower Snake River dams, but now more than ever, time is of the essence.

This river is a source of spiritual comfort to us now and a gift to our future. If you are moved to do something, we suggest you visit damtruth.org/take-action. Music: The Falling by Koi-Discovery

Video in support of removing the four lower Snake River Dams to aid in Salmon Recovery

*** Demand President Biden Order Breaching in 2022 *** Take Action: https://www.srkwcsi.org/take-action Get Involved: https://damsense.org/get-involved "Breach the Four Lower Snake River Dams" music by Woody Guthrie ("Roll on Columbia") new lyrics by Sharon Abreu, Annette Bader and Michael Hurwicz

We need to tell President Biden to ORDER the Corps to begin breaching in 2022. The robust outreach promised by Senator Murray and Governor Inslee hasn’t happened. According to Inslee and Murray’s joint Press Release on 10/22/2021, in part: "Today we are announcing a joint federal-state process to determine whether there are reasonable means for replacing the benefits provided by the Lower Snake River Dams, sufficient to support breach as part of a salmon recovery strategy for the Snake River and the Pacific Northwest." "Between now and July, we will also engage in robust outreach to communities across the Pacific Northwest to solicit their views as part of this process." Tired of politicians shutting us out of salmon and orca recovery? Tired of Governor Inslee and Senator Murray driving salmon to extinction and hiding behind closed doors? Why should we expect anything different? Inslee and Murray are the major players keeping the salmon-killing lower Snake River dams in place. Let’s open the doors to salmon and orca recovery. Tell President Biden to ORDER the Corps to begin breaching in 2022. Tell Biden and the Cabinet Secretaries a 2021 Nez Perce study shows that 77% of Snake River salmon runs will be presumed extinct by 2025 unless immediate action is taken. Government studies show that the salmon won’t recover unless the four lower Snake River dams are breached. Breaching must begin this year. The salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whales are counting on you. Find contact links & phones at damtruth.org/take-action for President Biden, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Counsel on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory.

Hydropower is not "clean energy"! New report shows that Lower Snake River reservoirs generate a significant amount of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Did you know that hydropower contributes to greenhouse gases? Reservoirs behind dams generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change. Presentation examines contemporary research on the topic and the connection between the lower Snake River reservoirs, global climate change, and the role rivers play in the carbon cycle. Presentation followed by discussion and Q&A with civil engineer and founder of Dam Sense, Jim Waddell, and mechanical engineer, John Twa. Free hour-long presentation was recorded on Zoom December 16 2020.

Rally for the River in support of Snake River dam removal for southern resident orca, salmon, and Northwest Tribes.

Don't miss this important panel discussion featuring Shannon Wheeler, Vice Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe, Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho, TU President & CEO Chris Wood and other scientists, advocates and experts as they discuss the future of the lower Snake River dams.

New underwater video footage shows heat-stressed sockeye salmon dying because the Columbia River is too hot. The video shows sockeye with dramatic lesions and fungus, which affects fish subject to thermal stress. (Video shot on the Little White Salmon on July 16, 2021, footage by Conrad Gowell.) Learn more: https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/hot-water

The story of Tahlequah, heard round the world when she held her dead calf for 17 days and 1000 miles, took a turn in early 2020. We hope you will watch our video below and be inspired to act on behalf of her family, before it's too late for NW salmon and Southern Resident Orcas / Killer Whales. Your role? Simply contact President Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and ask them to breach the lower Snake River dams NOW. Encouragement from the public can give them a reason to act. Comment Links & Phone #'s... ​President Biden 202-456-1414 ​Interior Secretary Deb Haaland 202-208-3100

SEATTLE CARES while MURRAY & CANTWELL SIT SILENTLY BY Led by the Backbone Campaign, we got two finger wags, three birds but overwhelming thumbs-up, honking and waving support over I-5 in the U-District yesterday. Seattle really cares about bringing wild salmon back from the brink to nourish Southern Resident Orcas. But Senators Cantwell & Murray don’t yet seem to share their constituents’ concern. To prevent extinction of endangered salmon and orca, they must get involved, take action and support the $34B proposal for infrastructure and stimulus funding and by breaching the four Lower Snake River Dams at the beginning of that timeline. Please TAKE ACTION and ‘Send a Message’ to each. Your voice will make a difference! Link in BIO.

Sonic Sea ( http://www.sonicsea.org ) is a 60-minute documentary about the impact of industrial and military ocean noise on whales and other marine life. It tells the story of a former U.S. Navy officer who solved a tragic mystery and changed forever the way we understand our impact on the ocean. The film is narrated by Rachel McAdams and features Sting, in addition to the renowned ocean experts Dr. Sylvia Earle, Dr. Paul Spong, Dr. Christopher Clark and Jean-Michel Cousteau. Sonic Sea was produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Imaginary Forces in association with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Diamond Docs. Learn more and find a screening near you at http://www.sonicsea.org

Artifishal is a film about people, rivers, and the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them. It explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction, threats posed by fish hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature. A film by Josh "Bones" Murphy For the full list of April tour dates, visit www.patagonia.com/artifishal

Snake River Salmon have been trucked, put on barges, diverted up fish ladders—all in the hope that enough would get by four dams to reach their historic habitat in numbers that would assure their future. It’s not working: It’s time to breach the dams and reconnect wild salmon to this important watershed. Learn more at http://www.patagonia.com/new-localism/damnation.html?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=seo&utm_campaign=s15_yt_damnation_free_the_snake