Condit Dam Blowout

It was a great day in the 'hood last Wednesday. The 98 year old Condit Dam is no longer holding back the White Salmon River. It was on all the news channels. On OPB. In the papers. On the internet. Even National Geographic, with this awesome time lapse video.Our 15 minutes of fame!

We spent prime time at Wet Planet's celebration party. There were people in attendance who have spent many years working on the dam removal. It was very emotional for them, as it was for Native Americans celebrating on the Yakama Reservation. Wet Planet had a huge tent with multiple viewing stations for the live feed, as well as guides in salmon costumes. And some well placed heaters. I found a seat near one, you betcha! It was a bit raw that day. The feed went down about 10 minutes to noon, the scheduled blow time. It came back just before noon. Someone said the 3 minute warning was sounded...and 30 seconds later, BOOM. A puff of smoke from the hole, then a blast of sediment filled water flew out and rushed downstream. If you did not click on the time lapse link above, go back now and do it!

The images were stunning. Words cannot describe it. We all sat in awe. After a while, we went to get food and beer. One must sustain one's energy, no? The predictions were for a full draining of the lake in 6 hours. Less than an hour after getting in line for the fab eats provided by Solstice, and the nice cold draft brews (that sent me inside for a hot coffee after lunch), we walked back to the screens to find the lake EMPTY. Wow.

We stayed until after all the speeches and raffles. As the A listers went on buses to the dam site, the rest of us ventured out on our own. We went to NW Lake to check out what once was the lake where we practiced fly casting. Lloyd is walking where we'd stand with our waders on! The water used to come up right to the edge of the picnic area where I'm standing to take the picture.

The boat ramp we launched our kayak from was well out of the water. The dock next to it, on the left side of the picture, is high and dry, as were all the other docks downstream of the park.

The next photo is one of the lakefront cabins that is now river view.

We hiked down the former lake shore past docks sitting dry. Lloyd liked the basalt sands so of course I had to take a picture. Weeds were already coming up from the ground in the area drained earlier. How fast nature reclaims turf!

Then we stopped to view the silty river downstream, near the mouth of the river. There was still water flowing into the Native American in lieu dock, but it was very very mucky. Just north of there, the river was clogged with silt and debris. It will be very interesting to watch how the process unfolds. No more trout fishing, for sure! A young man in a Subaru (we all drive Subarus up here in the NW) drove by and yelled out 'the White Salmon River is FREE'. He was happy.

We noticed on Saturday's drive west that sediment has definitely made its way into the Columbia. Hope to find some aerial shots of its progress over the winter.

The spawning salmon were transported above the dam a few weeks ago to do their business. Reclaiming their ancestral home. What man interrupted nearly a century ago, man has undone. It's a good thing. But I will miss the lake...