Hydroelectric Dams: Costs and Alternatives for Restoring Fisheries in the Elwha River

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the effects of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on fisheries in the Elwha River in Washington, focusing on the: (1) Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) authority to license those dams; (2) potential costs of removing the dams to restore the fisheries; (3) potential costs of restoring the fisheries without removing the dams; and (4) effectiveness of both dam removal and dam retention coupled with mitigation measures in restoring fish to the Elwha River.