To a kayaker, there's just something therapeutic about watching a dam blow up.  We dream about it, we joke about it, but we don't really ever expect it to happen.  Fortunately, it did happen this year in the Pacific Northwest and we'll soon see miles of new whitewater and restored salmon runs because of it.  The story stuck a chord this weekend at the National Paddling Film Festival, where Craziest Idea won 'Best Professional Documentary' and 'Best of Show.'  

The…

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On October 26, 2011, crews packed more than 700 pounds of dynamite into the base of Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in southwest Washington. Once detonated, the White Salmon River erupted through the hole, draining the reservoir behind the dam in less than an hour. One month…

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This October, a crew will begin blasting an 18-foot wide hole in the base of Condit Dam.  They’ll chip away at the first 80 feet gradually, then on a ceremonious day in mid October they’ll dynamite the last 10 feet and free the White Salmon River in Washington for the first time in 98 years.  It’s hard to tell…

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Last month, the Washington Department of Ecology issued the water quality permit needed to remove Condit Dam on the White Salmon River. The permit is a major milestone and is the final step before issuance of a dam removal order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is expected later this year. Once removed, the dam will restore several miles of whitewater and allow the White Salmon’s namesake fish to recover from the brink of… Continue