For much of the twentieth century, dams were widely viewed as symbols of progress. They generated electricity, supported industry and helped reshape landscapes to meet growing human demand. What received far less attention at the time was the lasting effect these structures had on rivers themselves. Fish migration was interrupted, sediment became trapped behind concrete walls and coastlines gradually lost the natural supply of sand and gravel that rivers had carried for centuries. Along Washington State's Elwha River, those changes remained in place for almost a hundred years. Then a decision was made to reverse them, beginning one of the largest ecological restoration projects ever attempted in the United States.
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