The Elwha estuary and nearshore began to deteriorate in 1911 with dam installation on the Elwha River, followed by installation of the Place Rd levee in the 1960's which bisected a channel of the lower river from river mile 0-0.2 and transitioned ~6 acres of historic west estuary into isolated freshwater pond. Beginning in the 1960's, repeated efforts to stabilize a sediment starved river delta shoreline installed copious armor along 3/4 mile of delta shoreline.

The project goals are:

1. Conserve western estuary and nearshore of the Elwha River by working with willing landowners to purchase historic estuary properties and secure conservation easements that prohibit shoreline armor

2. Now that uncertainties associated with dam removal have subsided, define options to modify the place levee to reconnect formerly productive estuary habitat while maintaining existing level of flood protection and

3. Remove nearshore process impeding armor.