PENINSULA DAILY NEWS reader Mark Swanson shared these photos and a video (below) of salmon spawning in the Elwha River near the Altaire Campground in Olympic National Park.
“Kudos to the park rangers who gave us directions about where to see salmon,” said Swanson.
He took the photos and video about 1 p.m. Sunday (Sept. 14).
Swanson was told that the fish are chinook salmon, also known as king salmon.
Altaire is one of two campgrounds in the Elwha Valley, located in the central-northern area of ONP about 11 miles west of Port Angeles.
It is reached by Olympic Hot Springs Road, off of U.S. Highway 101.
The Elwha River had a legendary run of massive chinook before two dams were built, cutting off access to their upper-river spawning grounds. Both dams now have been removed, and the river is the site of one of the largest ecosystem restoration projects in National Park Service history.
See related stories today:
“Chinook salmon seen in upper Elwha River for first time in 102 years” — https://giftsnap.shop/article/20140914/NEWS/309149941%3Cdiv class='code-block code-block-36' style='margin: 8px 0;'>
