Elwha River
| Elwha River | |
| River | |
 Elwha River
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| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Washington |
| Counties | Clallam, Jefferson |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | Cat Creek, Goldie River, Indian Creek |
| - right | Hayes River, Lost River, Lillian River, Little River |
| City | Port Angeles |
| Source | Olympic Range |
| - elevation | 3,655 ft (1,114 m) |
| - coordinates | 47°46′8″N 123°34′43″W / 47.76889°N 123.57861°W |
| Mouth | Strait of Juan de Fuca |
| - elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| - coordinates | 48°9′2″N 123°33′35″W / 48.15056°N 123.55972°WCoordinates: 48°9′2″N 123°33′35″W / 48.15056°N 123.55972°W |
| Length | 45 mi (72 km) |
| Basin | 318 sq mi (824 km2) |
| Discharge | for McDonald Bridge, River mile 8.6 |
| - average | 1,507 cu ft/s (43 m3/s) |
| - max | 41,600 cu ft/s (1,178 m3/s) |
| - min | 10 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
 Map of the Elwha River
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  Mouth of the Elwha River in Washington
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The Elwha River is a 45-mile (72 km) river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. From its source at Elwha snowfinger in the Olympic Mountains of Olympic National Park, it flows generally north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the river is in Olympic National Park.
The river is one of the few in the Pacific Northwest with all five species of native Pacific salmon (chinook, coho, chum, sockeye, and pink salmon), plus four anadromous trout species (steelhead, coastal cutthroat trout, bull trout, and Dolly Varden char). From 1911 to 2014, dams blocked fish passage on the lower Elwha River. Before the dams, 400,000 adult salmon returned yearly to spawn in 70 miles (110 km) of river habitat. Prior to dam removal, fewer than 4,000 salmon returned each year in only 4.9 miles (7.9 km) of habitat below the lower dam. The National Park Service removed the two dams as part of the $325 million Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Project. Dam removal work began in September 2011 and was completed in August 2014. The river has already carried sediment to its mouth, creating 70 acres of estuary habitat at the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The first documented use of the name Elwha River dates to Henry Kellett's 1846 map.
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Wikipedia