Useful Elwha Dam Removal Info Links -

There's quite a few links on the Elwha dam removal project. I found the following to be most useful in describing the project, and in posting updated info:

- Coastal Watershed Institute
- Elwha Watershed Information Resource
- Return of the River, Elwha Dam Removal Documentary
- Elwha River Restoration, Facebook Page, (most current info on the project).
- Olympic National Park, Elwha River Restoration page.
- Peninsula Daily News. Posts regular updates on the project.

Draining Lake Mills. Here, 18' lower, 11/13/10

Draining of Lake Mills..

Here's a great piece by Seattle's King 5 News on the draining of Lake Mills..

http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Lake-Mills-Elwha-dams-classroom.html

Gone Dam Pale Ale, Oct 2010 Release, Harbinger Winery

Here's the bottle label for the Gone Dam Pale Ale, an October only 2010 Release by Harbinger Winery in Port Angeles, WA. Ken DeBondt was the artist for the label.

Garbage Collected on Strait of Juan de Fuca 10/29/10

This batch is from a popular sea kayak paddle we did along the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Freshwater Bay to Salt Creek Rec Area. Vertical cliffs, sea caves, aches, and abundent sea life are part of the trip. Wind and swell can make it an advanced skills paddle, but fun if you know what you're doing. In a few pocket beaches I found large chunks of foam and the normal plastic bottles and other items that had floated in. The kelp beds were saturated in tiny pieces of foam, plastic, and nylon rope, pretty sad, as removing those items would be impossible. I carried these larger pieces back in my kayak, a great way to haul trash out. There were some very large plastic and foam chunks I couldn't fit in and an industrial looking 6 foot wide tire on the first pocket beach north of Observatory Point. Anyone have a helicopter?

Garbage Collected on the Elwha River Mouth 10/30/10

Elwha River Dike near Place Road, Before and After

The dike along the south side of the river has been improved to allow for better flow below the dams upon removal. This side is accessed via the public parking lot via Place Road. The wooded view with the path is before the new dike.

Glines Canyon Dam Flow Structures

Elwha River above the new Discovery Trail bridge, 3/10

Driftwood Beach Shack, 4/30/10

Speeding over the Elwha

I was speeding to dinner on Saturday night in Port Angeles as most restaurants stop serving food by 9pm. We left our place at 8:15pm, and while obviously not paying attention, passed a state trooper while crossing the Elwha on Highway 112 going 10 over. Oops. I'll send in my $116 donation to Clallam County this week.

Sunset over Freshwater Bay, 4/29/10

Winter on the Elwha, #2

Winter on the Elwha near Altaire Bridge

Motion Blur on Freshwater Bay, WA

Gary Korb Throwing Ends on the Elwha River

Gary Korb (pictured) who lives by nearby Salt Creek wrote the comprehensive book, 'A Paddler's Guide to the Olympic Peninsula.' This is the only guide dedicated to whitewater kayaking on the Peninsula with over 75 river runs covered. Gary also makes surf kayaks from his home using hardware store materials and fiberglass. You can see Gary rip in his custom boats at Crescent Beach on most days when the surf is up. In this image, he's 'throwing ends' on the Altaire rapid of the Elwha. You can find his book on Amazon at: http://bit.ly/cW3fXD

Beautiful winter day on the Elwha, 1/2/10

Flattened Driftwood Shack

After a series of high wind storms in late November, and possible human influence, the driftwood shack below has been flattened. We've found the beach further down by Place Road to change in form every time we visit due to the winter high tides and recent strong surf.

Driftwood Beach Shacks, Elwha River Mouth

Storm over the Strait, and Surfer Crossing the Elwha