The Elwha River Mouth at the Lowest Tides of the Year
This year's minus tides on the Strait of Juan de Fuca created interesting viewing opportunities to see what lies underneath.
On the Salish Sea, low tides occur throughout the year with daytime lows in the spring and summer and in the winter, the low tides are at night.
Spring and summer are a great time to take advantage of warmer temps to explore low tide beaches.
Last weekend I had the opportunity to view the Elwha River mouth on the Olympic Peninsula during the lowest tide of the year.
Twenty minutes west of Port Angeles, WA the Elwha River originates in the Olympic Mountains in Olympic National Park and flows north into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
It was interesting to see what lies underneath the water’s surface while I explored exposed marine life and the gravel and sand beaches.
2012 Dam Removal - A Decade Plus of Change
The Elwha River dams were removed in 2012 which at time was the largest dam removal in the US. The purpose of the removal was to restore the river’s once thriving salmon runs known for it’s 100 pound fish.
Directly after the removal the once sand starved and boulder strewn beaches of Freshwater Bay were covered with silt, sand and debris once held above the dams.
A few years after the dam removals the river mouth was pushed out several hundred yards into the Strait then receded a few years later once the waves and tides eroded it back.
Check out Washington Sea Grant scientist Ian Miller’s amazing time lapse footage of the first months of the dam removal at the mouth. Watch Here.
Follow his blog Coastal Nerd Gazette to see his decade plus of research on the dam removal and effects since.
Continuing Changes
For several years the shape of the mouth had mostly been unchanged until this winter when two king tides and storms completely changed the landscape.
Drone footage is probably the best way to view the extensive low tide beaches at the river mouth. I don’t have a drone yet but check out the beautiful work of Port Angeles photographer John Gussman who also has a book out ‘Ten Years After’ with his Elwha River dam removal images.
The background image on his cover is when the river mouth was pushed way out a few years after dam removal.
View his images of the river and dam removals on his site.
Elwha River Mouth at a -3.5 Lowest Tide of the Year
Here’s a few views of the low tide river mouth last weekend.
Resources:
The Elwha Reborn, Lynda Mapes and Steve Ringman, The Seattle Times
Salmon Cedar Rock Rain, Tim McNulty, Mountaineers Books (I have 3 photos in this book!)
Ten years After, John Gussman
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