The Massive Science Experiment

Paul Taylor just sent me an article by a friend of the ministry, Tas Walker. This past October the 100 -year-old Condit Dam was abandoned. To drain the reservoir behind the dam a hole was blasted in the base that allowed the reservoir to be drained completely within two hours. This huge science experiment shows great evidence of what could have happened during and after the flood!

Commentary from the Video

On October 26, 2011, a hole was blasted in the base of the 125-foot-tall Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington state. In less than two hours, the reservoir behind the dam drained completely, and the White Salmon River flowed unimpeded by the dam for the first time in 100 years. This short clip is a combination of video and timelapse photography captured throughout the day.

When we observed the aftermath there are massive erosion features which are similar to features found around the world. On the worldwide scale these would be considered small, but take a look at this video to see the amazing power of water at work.

As the water behind the dam drains, you can see large bodies of mud shifting downstream. It is amazing to see at the end of the video it is only a small amount of water going through the bottom of a huge canyon. Watch at the 1:28 minute mark to see the massive amounts of mud moving downstream.

Explosive Breach of Condit Dam from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

 

Three Months Later

The Columbian paper reported recently that cabins along what used to be Northwestern Lake are threatened by erosion as the White Salmon River cuts a new path to the Columbia River after the Condit Dam was breached. It will be interesting to see what happens to this property after just one year of recovery!