After decades of planing and tens of millions of dollars the Elwha River
is free of the two dams blocking salmon from spawning in
it’s upper reaches in Olympic National Park.
Just outside the ONP boundary a land owner wants to open a rock quarry
basically taking out the mountain in the background of this photo.
This is a fairly pristine area to be taking out a mountainside considering
all the effort to restore the area but planing departments from the state
and county are considering it. It has been in the works for 25 years.
The free flowing Elwha has deepened its channel and is flushing
millions of tons of silt and gravel towards the Strait Of Juan De Fuca
creating new beaches and opportunities for wildlife.
Due to lack of information and poor planing the Highway 101 bridge needs
to be replaced because the Elwha River has undermined the
bridge to the point that it may collapse.
Everything done so far to restore the river has made sense despite
poor planing and unforeseen consequences, it seems to be working.
The exception is the rock quarry but now that the state has
to replace the bridge they could allow it just for the rock
that would be close by and used to build the
new bridge to reduce the cost.
Two Steps Forward - One Step Back

Olympic Hot Springs Road
Now closed in Olympic National Park
because the Elwha River has been
reclaiming its former channels
taking out the road and campgrounds.
NPS acts surprised?
May need to ask for millions
to replace road, build new campgrounds.
They’ll need rock to do that!
Two Steps Forward - One Step Back