A River Reborn

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

The Elwha River has already begun to re-emerge as the reservoirs are drawn down in preparation for removing the dams. The river is slicing through deltas of sediment as much as 60 feet thick that was trapped behind the two dams.

Tim Randle of the Bureau of Reclamation's Denver office, helping to lead the team of scientists tracking erosion of the sediment, said he was astounded to see how much the deltas have eroded since he last visited in May and drawdown got under way in June.

"It's completely transformed," Randle said of the landscape, adding that so far, both deltas are eroding in a fashion that is in keeping with the restoration plan.

LINK (Via: The Seattle Times)