A Bozeman, Mont. construction company was selected as the contractor to remove the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams, the largest project of its kind in U.S. history.
The award of the $26.9 million contract to Barnard Construction Co. was announced this afternoon by the National Park Service’s Denver Service Center.
The Park Service had budgeted $20 million to $40 million for the dam tear-down portion of the $351 million Elwha River restoration project, intended to restore once-plentiful salmon to the Elwha River west of Port Angeles.
Dam removal was authorized by Congress in 1992.
In 2004, when the city of Port Angeles, the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe and the National Park Service signed the agreement to tear down the dams, the cost was estimated at $182 million and removal was set to begin in early 2008.
With today’s announcement, dam removal will begin in September 2011 and is expected to be completed by March 2014.
“This is a historic moment,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin.
“With award of this contact, we begin the countdown to the largest dam removal and one of the largest restoration projects in U.S. history.”
The contract includes removal of the 108-foot high Elwha Dam, completed in 1913, and the 210-foot high Glines Canyon Dam, completed in 1927.
“We will sit down with the contractor and start developing schedules,” Elwha Restoration Project Manager Brian Winters said.
“They have a lot of preparatory work to deliver for a project this size.”
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Animation on how the Glines Canyon Dam will be removed: http://interactive-earth.com/resources/science-visualizations/7-glines-canyon-dam-removal-process.html
Earlier report
By Tom Callis
Peninsula Daily News
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — A four-member congressional delegation toured the two Elwha River dams earlier this week, two days before today’s expected announcement of the name of the company that will tear down the structures.
The National Park Service is scheduled to announce the awarding of the approximately $40 million to $60 million contract today.
Demolition of the dams will begin in September 2011 and take about 2 ½ years to complete.
Touring the dams on Tuesday were Rep. David Obey, D-Wis.; Rep. James Moran, D-Va.; Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.; and Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.
On Wednesday, the group stopped by Hurricane Ridge with Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, before leaving the North Olympic Peninsula.
The trip was the first for each of them to the North Olympic Peninsula, excluding Bremerton-born Dicks, who has visited many times. His 6th Congressional District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Obey is the chairman of the budget-writing Appropriations Committee.
The other three Congress members are also on the committee; Cole and Moran are both on the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee that funnels money to the dam removal project.
The four, who arrived Monday, also met with Lower Elwha Klallam tribal members Tuesday.
Obey and Moran, who is chair of the Interior appropriations subcommittee, said the purpose of the trip was to see first-hand how the money for the project — anticipated to cost $351 million — is being put to use, and what the project means for other river restoration efforts.
Obey said he thinks the money has been well spent.
“It’s the first time that I know of that you have a major restoration of a stream like this,” he said.
Moran, who called the project a “major investment,” said it should “serve as a national model” for stream restoration.
“It’s a wonderful, important project,” he said.
“We had taken Norm’s word for it. Now that I’ve seen it, it’s fully justified.”
Dicks spoke the most enthusiastically about the project.
“Once we get those dams out we are going to have a natural [salmon] run,” he said.
“It’ll be a tremendous thing. It’ll bring people from all over the world to see how this was done.”
While meeting with the tribe, the Congress members toured the new fish hatchery under construction on the tribe’s reservation west of Port Angeles and spoke with tribal council and staff over their efforts to restore the Elwha River ecosystem, said tribal Chairwoman Frances Charles.
The fish hatchery is part of the dam removal project.
“It really opened their eyes,” Charles said.
“And we were glad that we could educate and answer the questions they had.”
Dicks also serves on the Appropriations Committee and is in line to replace Obey as chairman when he retires from Congress after this year.
Asked if Dicks would be a good candidate for the position, Obey responded simply, “Absolutely.”
The Congress members also toured Marymere Falls and dined at Lake Crescent Lodge during their stay.
Before coming to Port Angeles, the Congress members visited the San Juan Islands, said Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes. The islands are up for national monument designation.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
