Elwha River, Washington

2013.09.07

The Elwha River begins in the Olympic Mountains as a perennial snowfield called the Elwha Snowfinger, then flows 45 miles to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  In 1910 and 1927, two dams were built on the river, blocking passage for migrating salmon.  Over the decades, silt backed up in the two reservoir lakes, rather than spilling out in the Strait.  The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Project began removing the dams in 2011, so far the largest dam removal project in history.  The Elwha Dam has been removed and the Glines Canyon Dam is nearing completion.

The wiki page for Elwha Dam shows what it used to look like and a more recent photo similar to mine below.  Only the concrete spillway remains, with the lake drained and the river flowing (mostly) free again.  The second photo, from a viewpoint just off US-101, gives a glimpse of the river cutting a path through the silt beds of the former Lake Aldwell.  An estimated 25,000,000 cubic yards of sediment built up in the two lakes; so far about 10% has been carried down to the mouth, restoring sandbars at the delta.

Elwha Dam spillway after removal of the dam and draining the reservoir, Elwha River, Washington
Elwha River flowing through where the reservoir once stood, Elwha River, Washington
US-101 bridge over the Elwha River, Washington
Elwha River near US-101 bridge, Washington