People can track the progress of the Elwha River dam removal project by checking the six webcams installed along the river.
You can find the camera links at nps.gov/olym/naturescience/elwha-ecosystem-restoration.htm or www.video-monitoring.com/ construction/olympic/js.htm.
Webcams face both the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams, the deltas at the southern ends of the Lake Aldwell and Lake Mills reservoirs, and along the northern shore of each reservoir.
The primary purpose of the cameras is to monitor sediment movement, but viewers also get a direct view of each dam as the removal process progresses.
The $325 million effort to remove the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam and the 108-foot Elwha Dam is expected to last three years and will eventually restore the river to its wild state and restore salmon runs.
TRAIL PLAN EXPECTED
The Spruce Railroad Trail expansion and improvement environmental assessment was released last week, and the National Park Service is taking public comments through Oct. 21.
The assessment studies four specific development and construction alternatives for a non-motorized, multiple-use trail along the general route of the historic Spruce Railroad grade within Olympic National Park.
Park staffers considered options for developing the historic Spruce Railroad grade into a non-motorized, multi-use trail from the Lyre River to the park’s western boundary, including an alternative proposed by Clallam County.
Under the park’s preferred alternative, trail alignment would remain in its current location with minor adjustments, and both railroad tunnels would be re-opened to allow the existing trail to be widened and developed to meet accessibility standards along the general route of the historic railroad grade and in all areas of new trail development in the Sol Duc area, said a park news release.
More information is available at parkplanning.nps.gov/olym. Public comments may be submitted on this website or by mail to: Superintendent – SRRT EA, Olympic National Park, 600 E. Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362.
For more information about this project, people may visit Park Service’s Planning Environment and Public Comment website at parkplanning.nps.gov or call the park at 360-565-3004.
SATURDAY WORK PARTY
The last Mount Rainier National Park Associates trails work party for 2011 will be Saturday. Volunteers will work on the Rain Forest Loop Trail at the Carbon River entrance. Work will involve maintenance on the trail tread and possibly some repair of the wooden bridges.
The group will meet between 8:30-9 a.m., and be ready to go to work by 9. Volunteers should bring a lunch and plenty of fluids to drink, work gloves, safety glasses, a hard hat if they have one and rain gear.
People interested in helping should contact John Titland, volunteer coordinator, at volunteer@mrnpa.org. In the email, indicate how many people are coming so enough tools will be available.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640 jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
August visitation
Mount Rainier
August 2011: 272,128
August 2010: 287,090
Difference: -5.2 percent
Year-to-date 2011: 723,707
Year-to-date 2010: 909,253
Difference: -20.4 percent
For the first time this year, the decline in monthly recreation visits was only in the single digits. Despite a relatively strong month in August – the second-best in the last five years – the annual count is still down more than 20 percent.
Olympic
August 2011: 724,884
August 2010: 648,734
Difference: 11.7 percent
Year-to-date 2011: 2,216,189
Year-to-date 2010: 2,130,067
Difference: 4.0 percent
The park had its best August since 2007, helping drive its annual number of recreation visits to 4 percent. Some of the increase can be attributed to interest in the last chance to see the Elwha River dams before the removal process began Sept. 17.
Jeffrey P. Mayor, staff writer
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