OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The first presentation in this season’s Perspectives Speaker Series will focus on the history of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams as electrical power generators.
Photographer Harry von Stark of Quilcene and Kevin Yancy, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation hydropower foreman, will speak about the history of the Elwha and Glines Canyon hydropower projects at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles.
For nearly 100 years, the power of the Elwha River has been harnessed to generate electricity to help meet the industrial needs of the Olympic Peninsula.
Through photographs and tales from the powerhouse, von Stark and Yancy will offer their unique perspectives on the history of the river, helping “Elwha Power” come to life.
The 108-foot-high Elwha Dam, which was completed in 1913, and the 210-foot-high Glines Canyon Dam, completed in 1927, will be removed beginning in September in a $351 million project — the largest of its kind yet — to free the 70 miles of Elwha River for salmon and other wildlife.
The two dams were built without fish ladders, and salmon have been unable to move upstream to spawn.
“We are pleased to co-sponsor this talk as the first in this season’s Speakers Series,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin in a prepared statement.
The park’s Perspectives programs are co-sponsored by the Friends of Olympic National Park and are scheduled for the second Tuesday of each month from November through May.
Held at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, all the programs are free and open to the public.
Seating is limited, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
Refreshments will be served. Guests are asked to bring their own cups or mugs as part of the park’s efforts to reduce waste at the event.
Von Stark’s exhibition, “Elwha Power,” is on display at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, 1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd., through Sunday, Nov. 28.
The center is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
For more information, visit www.pafac.org.
For more information on the Elwha River Restoration, visit www.nps.gov/olym or the Elwha River Restoration on Facebook.
