Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — The speeches and music of Celebrate Elwha! ended Saturday, but those who want to quietly explore the outdoors at the Elwha rivershed have plenty to do today.
In addition, six webcams have been installed to allow the public to follow the progress as the dams are torn down.
The webcams are accessible at http://tinyurl.com/damwebcams.
Here are descriptions of what’s available today:
■ 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Olympic National Park rangers will be at the new Elwha Dam Viewpoint Trail, a short, easy walking path.
Parking for the trail is located just off state Highway 112 at Lower Dam Road, less than a mile from the intersection of U.S. Highway 101 and Highway 112 west of Port Angeles. Look for signs.
As the Elwha Dam is being torn down during the next three years, people can watch the process from the viewpoint.
■ 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Free 3.6-mile, round-trip, ranger-guided Hurricane Hill Trail hikes will highlight the cultural and natural history of the Elwha watershed.
To reach the trailhead, take Hurricane Ridge Road past the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center.
Hike is moderately strenuous and has a 700-foot elevation gain.
■ 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — “Explore Elwha with NatureBridge” is a 2½-hour guided van and bus tour throughout the Elwha watershed.
The tour is free, but seats should be reserved today at the Olympic National Park welcome booth at City Pier for the round-trip shuttles that will depart today from the City Pier plaza at 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:05 p.m. and 1:35 p.m.
Or get a brochure and drive to the sites.
■ 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — “Celebrate Elwha River Film Festival,” Room 205 of the Landing Mall, 115 E. Railroad Ave., on the Port Angeles waterfront. Free.
Films to be shown include Robert Lundahl’s “Unconquering the Last Frontier,” about the Elwha River dams, and Elia Kaza’s “Wild River” and “Lords of Nature.”
■ 2 p.m. — Lecture by environmental journalist Steven Hawley.
Hawley, author of Recovering a Lost River, will speak at 2 p.m. at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center at 1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
In his book, which is focused on the huge hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, Hawley “addresses the many issues in removing dams, rewilding salmon and revitalizing communities, issues for which the Elwha project serves as a prototype and catalyst,” said Jake Seniuk, director of the center.
“Published by Random House last spring, Hawley’s book makes a powerful argument for why dam removal makes good scientific, economic and environmental sense and requires our urgent attention,” Seniuk said.
He was among the first to write about the historic agreement to tear out Edwards Dam on the Kennebec River in Maine. Since then, his work has appeared in High Country News, Bear Deluxe, National Fisherman, OnEarth, Arizona Quarterly and the Missoula Independent.
Celebrate Elwha! guide
Get a copy of Celebrate Elwha!, the Peninsula Daily News’ comprehensive guide and schedule of events connected with the start of the removal of the Elwha River dams.
There is also a map in it for the NatureBridge tour events today. Celebrate Elwha! can be downloaded online at http://tinyurl.com/elwhaguide.
