Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an Effective Tool to Track Recolonizing Migratory Fish Following Large-Scale Dam Removal, field data

We collected environmental DNA (eDNA) data from the Elwha River, home to the world’s largest dam removal project, to track the spatial and temporal patterns of species responses following dam removal. In total, we collected data for 11 different fish taxa, sampled at 25 sites ranging across 56 river kilometers in a wilderness river for 4 years following dam removal. We show that eDNA can effectively be used to determine whether fish have recolonized past former dams, and in some cases determine the spatial extent of that recolonization.