The Salmon “Nutrient Express”

Dams constructed throughout the Pacific Northwest spelled disaster for the populations of salmon that migrate upriver to spawn — and the negative impact wasn’t limited to just the riverways. Salmon bring precious nutrients inland from the open ocean, which have been measured by researchers in the salmons predators (like eagles and bears) and even spreading into the trees in the surrounding forest.

Once the Elwha River Dam was removed, within just two years the number of coho salmon had doubled to 6,000 — bringing life back to the “nutrient express” that fueled an entire forest ecosystem.