A perennial snowfield, called the Elwha Snowfinger, is re-created every winter and spring in the Dodwell Rixon Pass area by upper pass avalanches. Here in the Olympic Range, within the Olympia National Park, the Elwha Snowfinger provides an icy flow of water to the 45 mile Elwha River. Long before the Washington Territory was ceded by Britain, the free flowing Elwha provided a vital habitat to 400,000 salmon as they returned to spawn. Blocked by the Elwha Dam in 1927, fewer than 4000 salmon manage to spawn in the lower Elwha.
     This view of Lake Mills above Elwha’s second dam will someday soon disappear. The magic act will be a part of the second largest restoration project the country has undertaken. Thousands of miles away, on the opposite end of the country, the ongoing Everglades Restoration Project holds the distinction of being the largest wetlands restoration project to date.
     Here in the Olympia National Park, two outdated dams will be removed over the course of a three year process. The 108 foot Elwha Dam and neighboring 210 foot Glines Canyon Dam will slowly be dismantled in 2012. Once a water treatment facility for Port Angeles is complete, the dams will be slowly removed with the hopes of eliminating any silt buildup in the Elwha River. Upon completion, there is little doubt species of Chinook, Coho, chum, sockeye and pink salmon will return.