Anticipated sediment delivery to the lower Elwha River during and following dam removal

Book excerpt: Chapter 2 of Duda, J.J., J.A. Warrick, and C.S. Magirl, eds., Coastal habitats of the Elwha River, Washington – Biological and physical patterns and processes prior to dam removal This report includes chapters that summarize the results of multidisciplinary studies to quantify and characterize the current (2011) status and baseline conditions of the lower Elwha River, its estuary, and the adjacent nearshore ecosystems prior to the historic removal of two long-standing dams that have strongly influenced river, estuary, and nearshore conditions. The studies were conducted as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Multi-disciplinary Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (MD-CHIPS) project. In chapter 2, the volume and timing of sediment delivery to the estuary and nearshore are discussed, providing an overview of the sediment stored in the two reservoirs and the expected erosion mechanics of the reservoir sediment deposits after removal of the dams.