Over the many years, humans have strongly impacted the land that covers Olympic National Park. There were Indian tribes that lived on the peninsula and survived by utilizing the natural resources of the land The Indian tribes that lived within the areas that is now Olympic National Park included Hoh, Ozette, Makah, Quinault, Quileute, Queets, Lower Elwha Klallam, and Jamestown S'Klallam. These Indians were some of the first people to inhabit this land and continue to have strong ties to what is now the Olympic National Park.
Eventually settlers came into this area and severely impacted the environment. One of the major impacts the settlers had involved the construction of dams. During the 1900's. two dams were built on the Elwha river changing the water flow in the river dramatically. The dams were constructed to make the land more inhabitable and easier for logging companies to transport trees. This resulted in land and water ecosystems being altered. President Franklin Roosevelt recognizing the beauty in this area supported and founded Olympic National Park in 1938 to protect it. Over 50 years after the founding of the park, plans were made to remove the dams and restore the natural ecosystem. By 2014, all dams located on the river had been removed.
Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/elwha-ecosystem-restoration.htm
http://parks.mapquest.com/national-parks/olympic-national-park/history-of-olympic-national-park/
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Olympic_National_Park
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/elwha-ecosystem-restoration.htm
http://parks.mapquest.com/national-parks/olympic-national-park/history-of-olympic-national-park/
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Olympic_National_Park