Dams and Hydropower
Altered flows in the Jordan River Watershed.
Hydropower development has fundamentally changed how water moves through the Jordan River Watershed. Dams and flow controls built to generate electricity have altered the river’s natural seasonal rhythms, disrupting the conditions salmon depend on throughout their life cycle. These changes continue to shape habitat, water quality and the river’s ability to support recovery.
The Problem
Hydropower development on the Jordan River includes the Diversion Dam (1911) and the Elliott Dam (1971), both of which regulate the timing and volume of water flowing downstream. By replacing natural seasonal patterns with managed releases, these dams have altered river connectivity, sediment movement and habitat availability. For salmon, these changes reduce access to upstream habitat and disrupt the flow conditions needed for migration, spawning and rearing.
The Impact
Salmon rely on predictable flows, cool water and connected habitat to survive and reproduce. Changes in flow timing and volume can strand eggs and juveniles, degrade spawning gravel, increase water temperatures and reduce food availability. Over time, these impacts weaken salmon populations and affect the broader food webs and cultural and ecological relationships they support.
The Solutions
Improving conditions for salmon in a regulated river requires flow management that better reflects ecological needs. Potential approaches include adjusting release schedules, monitoring ecological responses and supporting collaborative planning that considers salmon, watershed health and energy production together. Long-term improvement depends on shared commitment to balancing human use with the needs of the river and the life it supports.
Colonial records describe salmon runs in the Jordan River numbering in the thousands before mid-20th century industrial development. Earlier Pacheedaht oral history, shared by Elder Bill Jones, speaks of salmon so abundant that people could walk across the river on the backs of fish.
By the 1970s, salmon were almost gone from the river, and they have remained at very low levels since. As a result, water flow decisions made through BC Hydro’s dams and powerhouse are now based on current conditions, rather than on the river’s historical capacity to support abundant salmon runs.
Acting together is essential for the future of salmon in the Jordan River.
Understanding Key Events:
-
Disruptions to the Jordan River’s natural flow began with the construction of the Diversion Dam in 1908, completed in 1911, to support hydroelectric power generation. Early changes to flow coincided with an initial decline in observed salmon abundance.
-
A hydroelectric powerhouse, now operated by BC Hydro, was constructed downstream, diverting water through the system and returning it to the river via a tailrace. As salmon declined in the main river channel, this tailrace became one of the only locations where small numbers of salmon were observed for several decades.
-
Between 1950 and 1970, recorded fish counts in the lower mainstem of the Jordan River declined rapidly to near extinction. As salmon disappeared from most of the river, observations became largely limited to the powerhouse tailrace. This decline established a shifting baseline, where BC Hydro’s flow management and planning decisions came to be based on a river with few or no salmon, rather than on the river’s historical ability to support abundant runs.
-
The Elliott Dam, constructed in 1971 and operated by BC Hydro, further altered river flows to support hydroelectric generation. Following its construction, fish counts in the river dropped to near zero and have remained extremely low since.
-
Since the completion of the Elliott Dam, river flows have been regulated through BC Hydro’s hydropower system, replacing natural seasonal patterns with managed releases. This ongoing regulation continues to influence habitat connectivity, sediment movement and conditions for salmon recovery.
-
After decades of decline, salmon are now rare or nearly absent from the Jordan River. Because these low numbers have persisted for so long, flow management and planning decisions, including those made by BC Hydro, are often based on today’s conditions rather than the river’s original ability to support large salmon runs. This makes it harder to plan for recovery and long-term change.
-
![]()
Elliot Dam
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
-
![]()
Build it.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
-
![]()
Grow it.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
-
![]()
Sell it.
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
What We’re Working On
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
What You Can Do
HELP FUND SOLUTIONS
Support monitoring and research that inform better flow management and salmon recovery in the Jordan River.
SEND A LETTER TO YOUR MP
Call for stronger oversight and decision-making that reflects the river’s historical capacity to support salmon.
VOLUNTEER WITH JRWA
Take part in local monitoring and stewardship efforts that build understanding of how flow management affects the river.
Keep Learning
Related blog posts:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum id ligula porta felis euismod semper.