Condit Dam Removal

The Condit Dam was built in 1911 on the White Salmon River in the state of Washington. It was created to provide hydroelectric power for local industry. The White Salmon River is a glacier-fed river that empties into the Columbia River. Endangered salmon couldn't reproduce because the dam blocked 30 miles of habitat where they spawned.

It took 18 years of activism to free the White Salmon River. They received federal attention, and got kids to use art at the hearing to show the environmental significance of the dam. The activists continued to use this tactic (and had a great attorney). They got groups together to speak about dam removal as an alternative option. At first, authorities said it would cost too much, and biologically it wasn't important enough. The dam removal was said to cost $100 million. The attorney found an expert engineer willing to challenge that estimate, and found they might be able to do it for only $12 million. It turned out that upgrading the dam to meet today's standards would have cost three times as much as the final estimate of $33 million. The re-licensing process for the dam was a driving force behind the decision to remove the dam.



The first stages of the dam removal can be seen in this picture. First, they drilled a tunnel underneath the dam. Once the last 10 feet were removed, the river would be able to flow freely. On Octover 26, 2011, dynamite was used to blast the remaining stretch of the tunnel, and the river gushed through the opening. This did not remove the entire dam, it had to be removed in sections and was completed in 2012. Here is what it looked like after the lake was drained:

The river is finally being restored, after the second largest dam removal in history. Although this dam removal released tons of sediment, the long-term effects of the dam removal are positive. The endangered salmon are finally able to migrate up to colder water after 100 years of blocked access. Their populations are growing and conservation efforts have proven successful.