A hydroelectric dam was built on the Eklutna River in 1929. Now it's being demolished after sitting unused for more than 60 years.

It's being taken down piece by piece after many years of discussion planning and permitting.

"This is the best project I've ever worked on," said Brad Meiklejohn, Alaska state director for the Conservation Fund. "This river is broken - been broken for a while - so it's really fun to put something back together again."

Once the 71-foot high by 90-foot wide dam is removed, five species of salmon will have access to more spawning grounds and the fish may even return to Eklutna Lake.

"We still have five species of salmon in the lower Eklutna river," Meiklejohn said. "So we're hoping to open this area up for the salmon to come further up, and some day make it to the lake."

A giant crane lowered dozers down into the 400-foot ravine, and robotic chisels are being used for the demolition work.

Meiklejohn said some of the decorative parts of the dam will remain, as long as the pieces are structurally sound. But, he added that the dam had some problems, like it would often be clogged by silt, dirt and debris. The dam was eventually replaced by a second power source, and the dam's builder, Frank Reed, abandoned the project.

Meiklejohn said the dam is tough, surviving the '64 earthquake intact. Walking near the construction site, Meiklejohn picked up square rebar that was found inside the dam.

"You don't see that today," he said.

No state or federal dollars are being used for the project. The Conservation Fund is working in partnership with the Native Village of Eklutna and Eklutna Inc. The project is expected to be finished in the fall.