SILT RELEASED DURING the removal of the Glines Canyon and Elwha dams on the Elwha River continues to show up as new beaches and spits at the river’s mouth as the river empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
This aerial photo was taken last week.
Removal of the two dams, which were built in 1927 and 1913, respectively, opened about 70 miles of habitat — including tributaries to the 40-mile river — for salmon and other fish species.
The $350 million project continues to unleash up to 34 million cubic yards of sediment that had been trapped behind the dams.
That’s more than 3 million truckloads, enough to bury all of Seattle in a layer of mud almost 3 inches thick, according to University of Washington researchers.
