Return of the River

A documentary infused with hope, Return of the River explores an unlikely victory for environmental justice and restoration.

The film follows a group of committed people as they attempt the impossible: to change the public opinion of a town--and eventually the nation--in order to bring two dams down. Ultimately the community comes to a consensus, launching the largest dam removal in history and showing the way to a more sustainable future. The film offers inspiration amid grim environmental news, showing how an idea moved from "crazy" to celebrated reality. Reviewed as "hell-raising documentary filmmaking at its best", Return of the River premiered to acclaim in September 2014.

Olympic College employees and students can watch Return of the River by clicking the link in the title above. You will be prompted to first log in with your OC email and password. Then, if you haven't already, you will will be prompted to register for a separate Kanopy account.

A series of waterfalls flowing through sections of removed dam wall. Heavy machinery is pulling away the remaining Glines Canyon dam to free the Elwha River.

YouTube videos

Elwha River Restoration from Olympic National Park

This five-minute 'webisode' offers an introduction to the Elwha River, its people, its once-prolific salmon runs, the century of hydropower the river produced and the eventual decision to remove Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams.

Rising from the Ashes from Trout Unlimited

In less than 10 minutes this video will show the remarkable transformation of the river – and of the wildlife that depend on it after the removal of the two dams on the Elwha River.Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, summer steelhead have repopulated the Elwha in numbers unthinkable a few years ago. This film, from renowned filmmaker Shane Anderson, documents the return of summer steelhead to the Elwha, some of the key players who are studying the recovery of salmon and steelhead in this river, and what the Elwha’s recovery can tell us about large-scale river restoration projects in other places.