Ecosystem response to the removal of the Elwha River Dams
Photo by John McMillan
November 2018 K Denton & associates Location
• 833 km2
• ~72km of mainstem habitat
• 8 major tributaries
• Sea level to 1,372m
• Dry, warm summers and cool, wet winters
• Marine sedimentary, Crescent basalt, and Unconsolidated glacial till
• Western hemlock, Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Red alder, cottonwood, and big leaf maple Location Elwha River Fishes John McMillan John McMillan Coho salmon Pink salmon Chinook salmon
John McMillan
Jonny Armstrong Steelhead Chum salmon Sockeye salmon
Jonny Armstrong
John McMillan
Eulachon Bull trout Pacific lamprey
John McMillan Purpose Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act “…for the removal of the dams and full restoration of the Elwha River ecosystem and native anadromous fisheries.” 102nd Congress of the U.S.A. January 3, 1992
Photo by John McMillan Dam removal will result in fish passage to the Elwha River
Elwha Dam
Glines Canyon Dam
> 90% of habitat inaccessible Dam removal will result in fish passage to the Elwha River
Elwha Dam
Glines Canyon Dam Restored sediment dynamics will result in the creation & maintenance of existing and “lost” habitats
Elwha River mouth 2006 Elwha River mouth 2015
0.5km 1km Restored connectivity for fish and sediment dynamics will lead to restored riverine foodwebs, terrestrial linkages, and revegetation
Bellmore et al. in press Study design
Location Dams & former reservoirs Nearshore River ecosystem Processes Sediment dynamics Fish recolonization
Riverine foodwebs Terrestrial linkages Revegetation Study design Experimental design Spatial design Temporal design Adult fish Multiple Stratified systematic survey Daily, weekly, & before/after/ (SSS) seasonal Control/impact Opportunistic (O) (MBACI) Juvenile fish BACI SSS/O Monthly, seasonal, & annual Foodwebs MBACI SSS/O Seasonal
Habitats BA SSS/Census Annual
Sediment BA SSS Daily, seasonal Riparian BA SSS/O Seasonal, annual
. Spatial extent critical . Need to natural v. treatment variability . Annual analysis of data What’s going to happen to all the sediment?
~ 21 million m3 of sediment accumulated in reservoirs • ~ 54% fine, ~46% coarse • ~40%-60% predicted to erode downstream Predictions • suspended-sediment > 10,000 ppm • temporary deposition of fines in pools • more dynamic floodplain • bed aggradation in lower river • beach formation in estuary
N. Chism/Lighthawk Elwha Dam removal Before Dam Removal: September, 2011
Elwha Webcams courtesy NPS
• Completed in 1912 • 33m concrete gravity dam
Glines Canyon Dam removal Before Dam Removal: September, 2011
Elwha Webcams courtesy NPS
• Completed in 1927 • 64m concrete arch dam
Blasting at Glines Canyon Dam
John Gussman Glines Canyon Dam removal What has occurred with the removal of the Elwha River dams? Location Dams & former reservoirs Nearshore River ecosystem Processes Sediment dynamics Fish recolonization
Riverine foodwebs Terrestrial linkages Revegetation Elwha River dam removal sediment supply
• Water years (WY) 2011-2013 were most active years
• WY 2011/2012 – Sediment redeposits in former reservoirs
• WY 2012/2013 – Former Mills reservoir exports 8.8 ± 1.8 Mt
• WY 2011 through 2016 ~65% of the initial sediment stored exported
Ritchie et al. 2018 Elwha River - downstream effects of renewed sediment supply • Suspended sediment concentrations – 1000s mg/L – Peaked during WY2013 when former Mills became river and bed material was mobilized. – Largest contribution relative to natural sediment supply during this time • River characteristics – Longitudinal profile smoothed with pool filling – Streambed aggradation (1-1.5m) – Braiding increased • Flow – No flows > 2yr R.I. WY 2012-2014 – Sinuosity changed last 3 years when larger flows occurred
Ritchie et al. 2018 WY09 WY10 WY11 WY12 WY13 WY14 WY15 WY16 Expansion of the Elwha River delta due to dam removal
• Elwha River mouth became a depositional area
• Majority of sediment deposited consisted of sand and gravel
• Deposition occurred up to 12 meters deep and ~2km east of the river mouth
Ritchie et al. 2018 MouthSediment of the dynamics Elwha River - Nearshore - April 2014
Pre 2014 2012 Photo: Tom Rooda 2013 Where has the sediment gone since dam removal?
~64% (13.0 ± 3.2 Mt) was transported beyond the coastal delta to the Strait of Juan de Fuca ~20.5Mt (± 3.2Mt) released ~10% (2.1 ± 0.4 Mt) was deposited in the river channel & floodplain
~26% (5.4 ± 1.6 Mt) was deposited in and around the coastal delta
Ritchie et al. 2018 Lower Elwha Middle Elwha
Upper Elwha How have salmon responded to the removal of the Elwha River dams? • Adult returns
• Smolt outmigration
• Sediment impacts
J. McMillan • Natural recolonization & assisted relocation
• Life history diversity
• Non salmonid species
J. McMillan How is change measured for Elwha River adult salmon?
Bull trout Steelhead Spawner surveys, SONAR, Genetic Mark- recapture Chum SONAR Coho Spawner surveys, SONAR Pink Spawner surveys, SONAR Chinook Spawner surveys, SONAR, Genetic Mark-recapture
spring summer fall winter Chinook salmon & steelhead SONAR abundance estimate
10,0007000 ~ Chinook Steelhead 6000
5000
4000
3000 ~3,000 old mainstem sonar in July
2000 ~1,600 – 1,800
Chinook salmon & Steelhead salmon Chinook 1000
0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Denton et al. 2013-2017 How is change measured for Elwha River juvenile salmon?
Bull trout
Steelhead Smolt trap, end of summer population estimate, snorkeling Chum
Smolt trap Coho Smolt trap, end of summer population estimate, snorkeling Pink Smolt trap Chinook Smolt trap, seining, snorkeling
spring summer fall winter Elwha River screw trap locations
Flow Indian Creek 2013 Glines Elwha Canyon Dam Dam Main stem Little River Elwha 2005 of Juan De Fuca Strait 2012
= screw traps
RKM 22 RKM 12 RKM 0 Elwha River, Indian Creek, & Little River Steelhead smolts
25,000
Elwha River 20,000 Little River Indian Creek outmigrants 15,000 smolts
10,000
5,000 Estimated steelhead steelhead Estimated 0 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Year Sediment impacts during dam removal Relocation & natural recolonization of salmon recolonization between the dams • Assisted Relocation • Natural colonization – Hatchery & wild adult coho salmon – Steelhead, Chinook salmon, Coho – Wild steelhead salmon, Pink salmon, Sockeye salmon, & Pacific Lamprey Coho Pink
Steelhead Chinook
Photos courtesy of Andy Ritchie, NPS Relocation of adult coho salmon in the middle Elwha 2011 to 2016
Release Location Male Coho Female Coho Mainstem 150 153 Lower Indian Creek 334 305 Upper Indian Creek 260 296 Little River 265 179 Madison Creek 10 15 Sanders Creek 34 33 Griff Creek 15 13 Glines Canyon 93 119
Photo by John McMillan Coho salmon on spawning grounds
500 Total coho salmon observed 663 450 Coho salmon w floy tags 400 350 1050 300 250 200 150 124 100 515 244 Number of Numberof coho salmon 50 0 0 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
Almost 50% of the adult coho salmon seen on spawning grounds in the Middle Elwha in 2016-2017 did not have a floy tag Indian Creek is a low gradient, Little River is a steep gradient wetland dominated system the channel, snowmelt dominated flows from Lake Sutherland stream Indian Creek v. Little River stream temperature
2 month growth advantage - April v. June Indian Creek & Little River juvenile coho salmon outmigration Length ~ 70mm Length ~ 150mm
J. McMillan
J. McMillan
The progeny of the first generation of anadromous salmonids has resulted in different life history types of individuals with the same genetic composition in Indian & Little Steelhead Natural & Assisted Recolonization
Indian Creek Little River Fish Fish Year relocated Redds relocated Redds 2012 11 9 35 43 2013 0 24 88 47 2014 0 36 59 73 2015 0 6 0 36 2016 34 7 0 28 2017 0 16 0 37
Data source: McMillan et al. 2018 Summary of 2017 winter steelhead surveys in the Elwha River
Note – 25% of Indian Creek and 90% of Little River is surveyed for spawners. Number of redds is not representative of the total number of spawners in each creek Steelhead redds spatial distribution Downstream of Elwha Dam = black Between the dams = grey Above both dams = red
Elwha dam removed Glines Canyon dam removed Natural recolonization by Chinook salmon
Elwha dam removed
Glines Canyon dam removed
Photos courtesy of Andy Ritchie, NPS We had 59 and 52 redds above former Glines Canyon Dam in 2016 & 2017 Salmon recolonization between and above the dams
1200 Steelhead 1000 Chinook salmon Coho salmon 800
600
above former dam Elwha former above 400 redds 200 Total 0 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 PhotosYear courtesy of Andy Ritchie, NPS Pacific lamprey increasing in Indian Creek
700 20000 18000 600 16000 500 14000
400 12000 10000 300 8000 200 6000 4000 100 2000 0 0 2014 2015 2016 2017 Adults Marcothalmia Ammocete Adult salmon had issues at former Glines Canyon dam
Photos courtesy of Andy Ritchie, NPS Former Glines Canyon Dam rockfall blast September/October 2015
Photos courtesy of Andy Ritchie , NPS Photos courtesy of Andy Ritchie, NPS Former Glines Canyon Dam Pre, during, and post rockfall Upper Elwha summer steelhead observations
Summer steelhead observed 250
200
150
100
50
0 2016 2017 2018
J. McMillan Benthic foodweb
Consumers Resident Fish
Secondary Direct (tissue & eggs) Producers Spawners Invertebrates Anadromous
Primary Producers Indirect Periphyton (nutrients)
Physical Water Habitat Chemistry
Sarah Morley, NOAA
Jeff Duda, USGS Photos: J. McMillan, A. Draut Elwha River dam removal benthic foodweb study design
River sections: Below Between Above
Habitat types: Mainstem Side channels Tributaries
Pre-removal: 2004-2011 During-removal: 2012-2014 Benthic Invertebrate Taxonomic Composition Below Elwha Dam After 15000 ) 2 12000 Ephemeroptera Plecoptera 9000 Trichoptera Coleoptera Before 6000 Diptera Non-Insects 3000 During Density (Individuals / m
0 2004 2005 2006 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Morley et al. In Progress Benthic Invertebrate Taxonomic Composition Between Dams
4000 Before ) 2 3000 After Ephemeroptera Plecoptera
2000 Trichoptera During Coleoptera Diptera 1000 Non-Insects Density (Individuals / m
0 2004 2005 2006 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Morley et al. In Progress Diet Results Juvenile O. mykiss Summer Diet Origin
1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Below Dams 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 Between Dams 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 1.0 Proportional dry weight 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 Tributaries 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Terrestrial linkages Examining body condition and demographics in relation to marine-derived nutrients The case of the American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus)
Photo by Chris Tonra Photo by John McMillan Seattle Dungeness Elwha River River
Barnes Creek Sol Duc River Dam Sites
Sol Duc Falls Increased MDN in areas with salmon
With salmon increasingMDN
Without salmon
increasing MDN (Tonra et al. 2016) Salmon nutrients affect life history variation & survival • Higher female body condition with salmon
• Higher survival below obstructions
• Adult dippers 13 times more likely to be year- round residents below obstructions
• Dippers below obstructions 20 times more likely to attempt multiple broods Revegetation - Reservoir revegetation plan
• 7 year plan • Plant 400,000 native plants • Sow 5,000 pounds of locally harvested seed
Slide courtesy Josh Chenoweth High density Density and diversity and diversity of seed declines with distance of seed rain
1,300 ft 150 feet (0.25 miles) Forest Fine 1-5 ft deep sediments
Coarse, Valley Wall delta sediments
10-20 ft
Up to 40 ft deep
Terraces The most important variables: Floodplain • Moisture • Sediment texture • Distance from forest Slide courtesy of Josh Chenoweth, NPS Revegetation – Josh Chenoweth, NPS 2012 2014
Fine sediments
Coarse sediments Aug 2012 July 2013 July 2016
Fine sediment
Coarse sediment
Changes to former Aldwell Reservoir – 2012 to 2016 Elwha River dams and former reservoirs
• Elwha and Glines canyon dam removal complete.
• ~65% of total stored sediment has been released.
• Reservoirs being re- vegetated both naturally and with restoration efforts.
• Vegetation thrive in fine sediments and coarse substrate has proven more difficult. Elwha River nearshore, main stem, & floodplains • Majority of sediment transported to Strait of Juan de Fuca
• Delta at river mouth has prograded into the Strait of Juan De Fuca.
• ~10% of sediment stored in-river. Photo by Tom Rooda & CWI
• Main stem & floodplain channels downstream of dams aggraded (~1-2m)
• Gravels bars developed, large increase in wood accumulation
John McMillan Fish Recolonization
• Adult salmonids making it above former Elwha Dam and Glines Canyon Dam
• Coho, steelhead & Chinook salmon redds have reached over 1,000 in the middle Elwha River.
• Salmonids are adapting to the local environmental conditions resulting in differences in life history types J. McMillan • Non-salmon species are being seen and increasing in numbers Riverine Foodwebs • Benthic invertebrates reduced over 95% in lower Elwha, now making a comeback
• Juvenile salmon adapted to change in foodweb
• American dippers J. McMillan benefiting from return of salmon & altering their migratory behavior Thank you
Photo by John McMillan Recent publications
Ritchie, A.C., Warrick, J.A., East, A.E., Magirl, C.S., Stevens, A.W., Bountry, J.A., Randle, T.J., Curran, C.A., Hilldale, R.C., Duda, J.J. and Gelfenbaum, G.R., 2018. Morphodynamic evolution following sediment release from the world’s largest dam removal. Scientific reports, 8.
Duda, J.J., Beirne, M.M., Warrick, J.A. and Magirl, C.S., 2018. Science partnership between US Geological Survey and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe—Understanding the Elwha River Dam Removal Project (No. 2018-3025). US Geological Survey.
Lincoln, A.E., Shaffer, J.A. and Quinn, T.P., 2018. Opportunistic use of estuarine habitat by juvenile bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, from the Elwha River before, during, and after dam removal. Environmental Biology of Fishes, pp.1-11.
Foley, M.M., Warrick, J.A., Ritchie, A., Stevens, A.W., Shafroth, P.B., Duda, J.J., Beirne, M.M., Paradis, R., Gelfenbaum, G., McCoy, R. and Cubley, E.S., 2017. Coastal habitat and biological community response to dam removal on the Elwha River. Ecological Monographs, 87(4), pp.552-577.
Peters, R.J., Liermann, M., McHenry, M.L., Bakke, P. and Pess, G.R., 2017. Changes in streambed composition in salmonid spawning habitat of the Elwha River during dam removal. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 53(4), pp.871-885.
Liermann, M., Pess, G., McHenry, M., McMillan, J., Elofson, M., Bennett, T. and Moses, R., 2017. Relocation and recolonization of Coho Salmon in two tributaries to the Elwha River: implications for management and monitoring. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 146(5), pp.955-966.