The ups and downs of the Elwha restoration

Dams have two big consequences in rivers, and I usually focus on just one of them - the blocked DOWNstream flow of sediment. But yesterday I had the opportunity to go out to the river and observe the UPstream flow of fish in the newly opened middle reach of the Elwha River. This is the reach between the two dams:

This isn't a new thing - fish spawned in the middle reach last summer, but the river is flowing clear again in the middle reach, which makes for some very nice bank-side viewing conditions:

Okay, enough of the UPstream flow...but lets stay away from dirt for at least one more post. How about the downstream flow of paddlers through the newly opened Aldwell dam site (video by John Gussman):

Altair to the Sea from John Gussman on Vimeo.

And since we are on the topic of John Gussman, he sent along this nice perspective on change in the river itself, looking downstream from the Altair Bridge:

photos and layout by John Gussman