The purpose of this study was to examine the removal of the local Embrey Dam and compare it to current trend of removals in the country and specifically to the removal of the two dams on the Elwha River. Dams are a very common occurrence on American rivers, and the number of dams seems astounding. There are more then 68,000 dams two stories or higher in the US and about 2 million smaller ones. Views of dams, the effects, and their necessity are changing, and with these changes new era of dam removal has emerged.
Dams alter the rivers in many ways.
They effect the water, sediment, channel, wildlife, and surrounding land. One of the main reasons for today s interest in dam removal, is the very visible effect on fish. The fish most harmed by dams are migratory. Migratory includes the anadromous that live in the salt water and return to the fresh to spawn, and the catadromous fish like the American eel that returns to the salt water. Because of the harmful effects of dams, a new trend has emerged to try to remove them.