Geomorphology of the Elwha River and Its Delta by Jonathan A
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Chapter Geomorphology of the Elwha River and its Delta By Jonathan A. Warrick, Amy E. Draut, 3 Michael L. McHenry, Ian M. Miller, Christopher S. Magirl, Matthew M. Beirne, Andrew W. Stevens, and Joshua B. Logan Abstract The removal of two dams on the Elwha of flood plain levees, a weir and diversion River will introduce massive volumes of channel for water supply purposes, and sediment to the river, and this increase engineered log jams to help enhance river in sediment supply in the river will likely habitat for salmon. The shoreline of the modify the shapes and forms of the river Elwha River delta has changed in location and coastal landscape downstream of the by several kilometers during the past dams. This chapter provides the geologic 14,000 years, in response to variations and geomorphologic background of the in the local sea-level of approximately Olympic Peninsula and the Elwha River 150 meters. Erosion of the shoreline with emphasis on the present river and has accelerated during the past 80 years, shoreline. The Elwha River watershed was resulting in landward movement of the formed through the uplift of the Olympic beach by more than 200 meters near the Mountains, erosion and movement of river mouth, net reduction in the area of sediment throughout the watershed from coastal wetlands, and the development of glaciers, and downslope movement of an armored low-tide terrace of the beach sediment from gravitational and hydrologic consisting primarily of cobble. Changes forces. Recent alterations to the river to the river and coastal morphology morphology and sediment movement during and following dam removal may through the river include the two large be substantial, and consistent, long-term dams slated to be removed in 2011, but also monitoring of these systems will be needed include repeated bulldozing of channel to characterize the effects of the dam boundaries, construction and maintenance removal project. Chapter 3 48 Coastal Habitats of the Elwha River, Washington—Biological and Physical Patterns and Processes Prior to Dam Removal Introduction Geologic Setting the continental slope into deep water (Orange and others, 1993; Brandon and The removal of the Elwha and Tectonics others, 1998; U.S. Geological Survey Glines Canyon Dams will introduce Geologic Names Committee, 2010). A distinct boundary exists between massive volumes of sediment into the The steep and glaciated Olympic the sedimentary rocks of the OSC and Elwha River, some of which will be Mountains include some of the highest the Coast Range terrane (CRT; Brandon transported to the Strait of Juan de coastal peaks along Cascadia and and others, 1998), which are sequences Fuca coastal waters. This sediment form the headwaters of the Elwha of volcanic and sedimentary rocks perturbation will likely modify River drainage basin. These mountains (fig. 3.2). The CRT also was formed in the shapes and forms, that is, the were formed by the convergence of the ocean, as evidenced by its marine “geomorphology,” of the landscape the oceanic Juan de Fuca plate with sedimentary rocks and pillow basalts, downstream of the dams. One important the continental North American plate the latter being the result of underwater step to characterizing these future through the Cascadia subduction zone volcanism. The structural boundary changes is a thorough description of the (fig. 3.1). As the Juan de Fuca plate between the older CRT and the OSC present geomorphology of the Elwha converged with the North American is the extensive Hurricane Ridge Fault River and its coast. If these changes plate at a rate of approximately and its equivalents (Tabor and Cady, are not measured and described, future 43 mm/ yr, part of the oceanic rocks 1978; Gertsel and Lingley, 2003; changes to the river, flood plain, and and sediments accreted onto the front Polenz and others, 2004). Because the coastal landforms cannot be tracked, of the North American plate rather Hurricane Ridge Fault crosses the Elwha and the effects of the dam removal will than subducting under it. The Olympic River basin near Lake Mills (fig. 3.2), remain unknown. Mountains are the highest part of this bedrock lithology of the Elwha River The present geomorphology of the “accretionary wedge” of marine rocks basin upstream of Lake Mills differs Elwha River results from an uplifting that spans the majority of the Cascadia substantially from the basin downstream mountain range, large changes in sea subduction zone (fig. 3.1). of Lake Mills. level, former alterations to the landscape Evidence for the accretion of Over geologic time, the rocks of the by glaciers, and continual modification marine rocks abounds throughout the central Olympic Mountains are uplifting and movement of materials by winds, mountainous terrain of the Olympic at a rate of approximately 0.6 mm/yr waves, rain, snow, river discharge, and Peninsula, where the primary rock (Brandon and others, 1998; Batt and the force of gravity. The watershed has types are slightly altered sedimentary others, 2001). This uplift of the Olympic also been modified by human activity, (that is, “metasedimentary”) rocks Mountains maintains steep slopes in the most notably from the two large dams that originated underneath the seafloor Elwha River watershed and erosional that prevent sediment movement (fig. 3.2). These uplifted rocks are processes such as rockfalls, shallow down the river. Less obvious, but also known as the Olympic subduction and deep landslides, and debris flows important, are the numerous human complex (OSC; Brandon and others, that generate substantial quantities of alterations to the river channel. 1998), which is an exposed part of sediment for the river (Montgomery and This chapter introduces the the accretionary wedge that underlies Brandon, 2002; Acker and others, 2008). geomorphic setting of the Elwha most of the offshore continental margin The rate of tectonic uplift in the Elwha River and its coast, explores the recent (Stewart and Brandon, 2004). The River watershed decreases between history of the Elwha River and its delta, deformed phyllites and schists that make the central Olympic Mountains and the and describes the effects that human up the OSC were originally deposited on coast to rates of less than 0.3 mm/yr intervention has had on these systems. the seafloor in Eocene to Miocene time (Tabor and Cady, 1978; Brandon and This geomorphic framework will help (55.8 to 5.3 million years before present others, 1998; Polenz and others, 2004). track future changes to this system after [BP]) as a result of numerous sediment- the dams are removed. laden turbidity currents plunging down Geomorphology of the Elwha RiverGeologic and its Setting Delta 49 130° 125° 120° 115° 110° 51° BRITISH ALBERTA COLUMBIA 49° CANADA UNITED Pacific STATES Plate 47° WASHINGTON MONTANA North American Plate Juan de Fuca 45° Plate ~43 millimeters per year OREGON 43° IDAHO Spreading Zone 41° NEVA DA UTAH Subduction Arc of 39° Zone Volcanoes CALIFORNIA Basemap modified from USGS and other digital sources, 0 100 200 300 Kilometers various scales. Projection is Washington State Plane South, datum is North American Datum of 1983. 0 100 200 300 Miles Figure 3.1 Generalized plate tectonics map of the Cascadia subduction zone of North America. tac11-0558_fig3-01 Chapter 3 50 Coastal Habitats of the Elwha River, Washington—Biological and Physical Patterns and Processes Prior to Dam Removal 124° 123° Vancouver Island EXPLANATION Lithology Glaciers Stra it of J Intrusive uan d e Fuca Sedimentary Unconsolidated Volcanic r e v i Maximum extent of R ice sheets 48° a h Hurricane Ridge Fault w l E E and its equivalents OSC Mt Olympus N A E l C a n O a C 47° d o 30' o H C I F I C A CRT P Basemap modified from USGS and other digital data sources, 0 10 20 30 Kilometers various scales. Projection is Washington State Plane South, datum is North American Datum of 1983. 0 10 20 30 Miles Figure 3.2 Generalized geological map of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. The fault between the Olympic subduction complex (OSC) and the Coast Range terrane (CRT; Brandon and others, 1998) is shown with a green line. Maximum extent of the most recent Cordilleran ice sheet was to the north and east of the blue line. Map created after Tabor (1987), Brandon and others (1998), and Schuster (2005). tac11-0558_fig3-02 GeomorphologyLower of the Elwha River Morphologyand its Delta 51 Glacial Processes During the dammed the waters of the Elwha River Lower Elwha River Quaternary Period watershed, creating a lake in the lower Elwha River watershed. Sediment Morphology Profound new forces at the close of deposits from this pro-glacial lake, with the Pliocene (approximately 2.6 million poorly sorted, poorly stratified glacial The final 7.8 kilometers of the river years ago) shaped the uplifted rocks outwash alluvium and stratified sediment between the Elwha Dam and the Strait of the Olympic Mountains. Sweeping dominated by silt and clay, are visible of Juan de Fuca is the flattest reach and down from their northern source in the today in bluff exposures along the lower is termed the “lower river” (fig. 3.4). highlands of British Columbia, massive Elwha River and may represent the most This final reach is the most heavily continental ice sheets buried the Puget substantial modern sources of sediment altered reach of the river and will Sound and its margins. At the same time, downstream of Elwha Dam (Tabor, experience the largest effects of renewed valley glaciers sourced in the hinterlands 1975, 1987; McNulty, 1996; Polenz and sediment supply following dam removal of the Olympic Mountains carved out others, 2004). (Draut and others, 2008; Konrad, 2009). deep U-shaped troughs in the valleys The upper 1.3 km of the lower (Easterbrook, 1986; Batt and others, river lies within a bedrock gorge, 2001; Mosher and Hewitt, 2004).