The Elwha

This post continues the narrative of my trip in early July to the Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island.

Our second night on the Olympic peninsula we camped at Sol Duc inside the national park. The following day we had adventures at a few other places in the park: a short hike to Sol Duc falls, kayaking on Lake Crescent, and a drive along part of the Elwha River.



The Elwha River with a heavy sediment load.

Sol Duc falls.

The Elwha is notable because it is currently undergoing large-scale watershed restoration with the removal of two dams. Most of the dam removal has already occurred at this point in time, and the dramatic changes to the watershed are evidenced by the milky grey water that is churning down the valley. Apparently this project is the largest dam removal in the United States (1). Restoration of the watershed is expected to increase populations of salmonids (which were highly impacted by dam construction and loss of habitat (1,2). As the restoration of the watershed proceeds, some interesting things to look for include  the evolution of water clarity as sediment works its way towards the ocean, whether that sediment will quickly create new estuarine marsh habitat at the Elwha delta and whether salmon runs will recover to pre-dam conditions.


The National Park Service hosts a blog and photogallery of dam removal.

References:
1. http://www.nps.gov/olym/naturescience/upload/Elwha-River-Restoration-Brochure-2013_Final.pdf
2. http://www.americanrivers.org/initiatives/dams/projects/elwha-river-background.html

Tiger lilies (Lilium columbianum) along the Sol Duc River.