Lake Aldwell

This used to be Lake Aldwell, the lower of two reservoirs on the Elwha River.  The Elwha Dam has been gone now for much of a year - completely gone - and the river is rearranging the sediment that used to fill the upper portion of the reservoir.  An awful lot of the sand that was here is now down at the river mouth (next post), building a bigger delta.

National Park Service:  Elwha River Restoration

As the river cuts down through the reconfigured lake bed, it is exposing older sediment, layers of organic detritus, and the enormous stumps of trees that grew (and were cut) in the valley before the dam was built.

Google Maps: AERIAL VIEW
Ecology Coastal Atlas:  2007 Photos of Lower Elwha Dam, Lake Aldwell