The Nooksack River dam is the latest Washington State dam demolished to open miles of salmon habitat and help critically endangered Orca whales.

The 2nd video shows the dam explosion.

[qfox.com]

How a Dying River Came Roaring Back to Life

Since the removal of two dams on the Elwha River in Washington State in 20, salmon are spawning once again, animals large and small are returning to the river banks, and hundreds of acres of barren former lakebed are greening.

"In the Pacific Northwest, salmon are a linchpin in a healthy ecosystem. They carry critical marine-derived nutrients from ocean to forest, fertilizing riverbanks with their bodies as they die and decompose after spawning. Numerous animals rely on them, forming a chain of predation that circulates these critical nutrients throughout the forest."

Surrounded by pristine forest that jumpstarted recovery

"The Elwha isn’t a perfect rubric for dam removal everywhere. The upper river has long been surrounded by pristine forest — it sits within Olympic National Park, so it’s been insulated from development, which jumpstarted the ecological recovery. But restoration stories like the Elwha can serve as inspiration for other dam removal projects."

“The Elwha captured everyone’s imagination and shows that dam removal works,” says Amy Kober, the national communications director at American Rivers. “It’s exciting on so many levels for the ecosystem. You’re seeing the benefits from insects to salt water, which shows how connected rivers are, and the benefits that have a domino effect outward. It’s inspiring people all around the country to ask questions about their rivers.”

[saturdayeveningpost.com]