Sediment Work to Begin August 31 at Lake Mills

Date: August 26, 2010
Contact: Barb Maynes, 360-565-3005
Contact: Dave Reynolds, 360-565-2985

The contract for establishing a pilot channel and removing trees from the Lake Mills delta in Olympic National Park has been awarded to Cherokee Construction of Vancouver, Wash. The award amount is $743,708 and includes repositioning logs within the river and reservoir to help redirect the river towards the new pilot channel.

"Now that the contract has been awarded we are able to provide a more definite work schedule," said Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin. "We are happy to say that boaters and anglers will have one more weekend to enjoy Lake Mills before the work begins."

Beginning on August 31, contractors will begin moving large heavy equipment to the boat launch at the south end of the Lake Mills reservoir. In order to accommodate the equipment and the barges that will be used to transport it to the delta, the boat launch and boat launch access road will close at sundown on Monday, August 30.

At the same time, the entire Lake Mills reservoir and the Elwha River between Goblins Gate and Lake Mills will be closed to boating. Kayakers using the river will need to exit the river at Goblins Gate and hike out the Rica Canyon Trail and Elwha River Trail to the Whiskey Bend Trailhead. The West Lake Mills Trail and Upper Lake Mills Trail will also close during this period.

The work period and closure are scheduled to be completed within five weeks, ending on October 4, 2010.

The Lake Mills delta, created by the river's sediments as they flow downstream, has become overgrown in recent years by a large number of alder trees. As the trees and root systems have grown, the delta has become more stable and less easily eroded by the river. This project will help maximize erosion through the delta before, during and after dam removal.

After dam removal begins, the river will once again carry large amounts of sediment downstream where it will restore fish habitat, shellfish beds and beaches along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Establishing a pilot channel before the heavy rains of fall and winter will give the river the head start that it needs to erode the sediment.

As the reservoir levels drop during and after dam removal, the river will naturally erode and carry downstream the sediments that have accumulated in the reservoirs, replenishing downstream spawning beds and the estuary and beaches at the river's mouth.

In addition to removing trees and creating a pilot channel through the middle of the delta, workers will reposition logs within the river and reservoir to help redirect the river towards the new pilot channel. The likelihood of floating and submerged logs within the existing river channel and reservoir, along with heavy equipment at work, necessitate the boating closure.