Explosive Breach of Condit Dam from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

October 26th, 2011 is certainly a day that will go down in history. After the Blaster in Charge yelled “fire in the hole!” and ignited the charges packed into the bottom of 125′ tall Condit Dam, the White Salmon River was explosively set free for the first time in 100 years.  The lake took less than 2 hours to drain, carrying an incredible amount of sediment and debris downstream to the Columbia.  Now, a more gradual process begins–the erosion of millions of cubic yards of trapped silt, the return of threatened salmon and ultimately the complete removal of Condit Dam.

The burning question on everyone’s mind now is–what new whitewater do we have to look forward to and when will we be able to paddle it? First, technically, the river will be closed until sometime in the fall of 2012 when the dam is completely gone and the sediment stabilized. Both PacifiCorp (the dam owner) and JR Merit (the contractor removing the dam) are very clear that any attempts to paddle the river before it is officially opened will be dealt with seriously. Secondly, at this time it is physically impossible to paddle any part of this section of the White Salmon. The pool below the dam has filled with sediment and the water level is now above the tunnel. A huge logjam has formed in the canyon just downstream of the dam, making that section impassable. And, of course, taking out just upstream of the dam isn’t really an option because of the massive unstable sediment banks.

But, the prospect for new whitewater looks promising. There is exposed bedrock and gradient, already forming temporary rapids. Conditions are changing extremely quickly as the sediment erodes, so the river looks drastically different from day to day. Regardless of conditions, I certainly won’t be doing any exploration before next fall when the river is opened, but it will definitely be fun to watch the progress.

In the meantime, stay tuned for updates on how the river re-formation process is going. Our two long-term timelapse cameras will be up and running for the next couple of years as the river settles into a channel and the dam is removed. It will definitely be a fun and unique thing to watch! Project website: http://whitesalmontimelapse.wordpress.com/

Also, check out this article on National Geographic news that includes my video from the day.

Special thanks to American Rivers, American Whitewater, Clif Bar and Pro Photo Supply for making this coverage possible!

Year of the River: Episode 2 from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

On October 26th, Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington will be packed with enough explosives to blow a huge hole in the base of the concrete wall.  Moments after the climactic explosion, 10,000 CFS will gush from the tunnel and drain Northwestern Lake completely in 6 hours.  That’s the moment paddlers have been waiting for since dam removal talk begin 10 years ago—that’s when we get to see, for the first time, whitewater that’s been hidden under the lake for the last 100 years.

The White Salmon system—made up of the White Salmon itself and its sister river, the Little White Salmon—is, hands down, the best class V backyard playground in the country.  And the White Salmon also supports a thriving rafting industry and paddling for all other skill levels—all in the spectacular scenery of the Columbia River Gorge.

For as long as people have kayaked the White Salmon, the 125 foot tall Condit Dam has created a 3-mile long lake that separated two popular whitewater sections of the river.  In 2 weeks, the lake will be drained and these two sections relinked.  To say that the local paddling community is on the edge of its seat with anticipation is a huge understatement.

Rumors are flying about what’s waiting below the lake.  There’s steep gradient and a deep canyon, so there’s sure to be new whitewater.

The only other creatures that may be more excited about the removal of Condit Dam are the threatened salmon and steelhead that will once again be able to access the upper parts of the White Salmon to spawn.  A test program is showing how quickly the salmon will bounce back—they just need to be able to get home.