Over the Elwha

In support of the Elwha River and Ecosystem Restoration Act of 1992, the National Park Service, NPS, and Olympic National Park engaged Robert Lundahl & Associates to produce a series of aerial photographs of the Elwha River drainage.

The resulting images show the hydrology and geomorphology of the riparian ecosystem before removal of the two industrial power dams on the river began in 2012.

One person fine art photographic exhibits were mounted in the following venues:

The Thoreau Center for Sustainability, The Presidio, San Francisco, California, Patagonia company corporate headquarters, Ventura, California, BC Space, Laguna Beach, California, and The Odd Art Gallery, Port Angeles, Washington.

Exhibits in California venues extended the outreach and awareness of the 300 million dollar restoration effort, the largest in the world.

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Of the dam removal effort, Senator Bill Bradley, (D) New Jersey spoke these words on September 16, 2011, to the Elwha People:

“I am compelled by the times we live in to point out that the Elwha legislation had bipartisan support. It was sponsored on a bipartisan basis. Supported by a Republican governor. Passed Congress on a bipartisan basis. Signed into law by a Republican President. Implemented under Republican and Democratic Administrations…

…when the salmon return, when the dippers and the herons and beavers and bears crowd the banks, when the life of the ocean and the mountains are joined again, when justice is done for native people, you will have here something that moves and inspires people thousands of miles and continents away from here. It will be compelling, empirical proof of the health and practical genius of our own democracy.

This will be the place where our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren can see the life of the planet restored.

They will see the tangible power and great beauty of what you have achieved.

We are restoring honor. We are keeping promises. We are doing the right thing.

Your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren-they will be proud of you.

It will be the great gift of the Elwha – Hope.”

Lundahl’s photographic impressions were made using Fuji Astia 400 film, a Leica M6 camera, and a 35 mm. Summicron lens.

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