Elwha River Restoration research
The Elwha River on Washington State's Olympic Peninsula is undergoing an amazing transformation. For nearly a century, two dams cut off one of the most important members of riparian ecosystems in the west: anadromous fish. Thanks to the 1992 Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act and a collaboration between the National Parks Service and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, one of these dams was completely removed in 2012, and the second is in the process of being removed. This is the largest dam removal project in history, and the benefits are already being realized as several species of Pacific salmonids have already begun returning to spawning grounds that have been unused for 100 years.
My research on the Olympic Peninsula is a collaboration with the Elwha Tribe and focuses on perhaps the most important indirect benefit to wildlife in the Elwha watershed: rich marine nutrients transported into the river by spawning salmon and steelhead. We are using birds, primarily the American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), as indicators of marine derived nutrients in aquatic and riparian food webs. Since 2011, we have been tracking these nutrients through stable isotope analysis of bird prey and bird tissue. We are also quantifying how birds respond to the presence of salmon in their body condition, behavior, and demographics. In addition, we are measuring dipper exposure to methyl mercury, which may occur as a result of reservoir sediments released into the river. These data will be used to quantify the environmental impacts of dams and the benefits of restored fish runs to the overall ecosystem, and track the recovery of this magnificent watershed.
My research on the Olympic Peninsula is a collaboration with the Elwha Tribe and focuses on perhaps the most important indirect benefit to wildlife in the Elwha watershed: rich marine nutrients transported into the river by spawning salmon and steelhead. We are using birds, primarily the American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), as indicators of marine derived nutrients in aquatic and riparian food webs. Since 2011, we have been tracking these nutrients through stable isotope analysis of bird prey and bird tissue. We are also quantifying how birds respond to the presence of salmon in their body condition, behavior, and demographics. In addition, we are measuring dipper exposure to methyl mercury, which may occur as a result of reservoir sediments released into the river. These data will be used to quantify the environmental impacts of dams and the benefits of restored fish runs to the overall ecosystem, and track the recovery of this magnificent watershed.
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Relevant Publications
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Collaborators
• Peter P. Marra - Smithsonian (Post-doctoral Supervisor) • Kim Sager-Fradkin - Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe • Collin Eagles-Smith - USGS |