There are several water sources in Olympic National Park that play big role in the environment. Water can be found frozen in the glaciers, in lakes, or it can be found in rivers through out the park. The glacier near Mount Olympus as well as the glaciers on other nearby mountains melts with warmer weather resulting in more water in the rivers. The glacier melting has produced eleven major river systems within the park and many of the lakes. .
Glaciers:
The glaciers remain a main feature of Olympic National Park. The glaciers have melted significantly over the years with researchers observing a 35% reduction in the surface area of glaciers in Olympic National Park over the past 30 years. Over the years the glaciers helped to form a lot of the parks features including the shapes of the mountains and the lakes located through out the park. The largest glacier located in the park is called Blue Glacier and is around 2.6 miles long. Glaciers move daily with the fastest part of this glacier moving approximately 3 feet per day.
The glaciers remain a main feature of Olympic National Park. The glaciers have melted significantly over the years with researchers observing a 35% reduction in the surface area of glaciers in Olympic National Park over the past 30 years. Over the years the glaciers helped to form a lot of the parks features including the shapes of the mountains and the lakes located through out the park. The largest glacier located in the park is called Blue Glacier and is around 2.6 miles long. Glaciers move daily with the fastest part of this glacier moving approximately 3 feet per day.
Lakes: Lake Crescent, Lake Sutherland, and Lake Quinault
Originally Lake Crescent and Lake Sutherland were combined into one large lake. A substantial landslide from the mountain resulted in the separation of the large lake into two smaller lakes named Lake Crescent and Lake Sutherland. Lake Crescent is the largest lake in Olympic National Park formed by glaciers. Another lake formed by glaciers is Lake Quinault which is connected to the to the Quinnault river. Rivers: Hoh River and Elwha River The two major rivers in the park are the Hoh River and the Elwha River. The Hoh River is the more recently formed river and connects to the Pacific Ocean. This river is contributed to by glacier melting. The Hoh River floods regularly and experiences landslides. The Elwha River represents another major river in the park. It is about 45 miles long and has a delta. It empties into the strait of Juan de Fuca. Waterfalls : Sol Duc Falls and Murhut Falls The flow of water in the park produces some spectacular waterfalls. The Sol Duc Falls is one of the larger falls with many smaller waterfalls located along the 78 miles of river that courses though the Sol Duc Valley. The Murhut Falls has water that cascades down 130 feet. Hot Springs: Water is also located in the form of hot springs in the Olympic National Park. The majority of hot springs are located near the Elwha River with several others scattered through out the park. The hot springs have a temperature of approximately 59 degrees Celsius. The hot springs were formed due to the hot plates and magma underneath which heats the water. |
Sources:
http://www.olympicnationalparks.com/discover/park-history/
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/elwha-ecosystem-restoration.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/rivers-and-lakes.htm
http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/Olympic
https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-the-sol-duc-valley.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/hot-springs.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/elwha-research-efforts.htm
http://www.mountainnature.com/geology/HotSprings.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/glaciers.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/glaciers.htm
http://www.olympicnationalparks.com/discover/park-history/
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/elwha-ecosystem-restoration.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/rivers-and-lakes.htm
http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/Olympic
https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/visiting-the-sol-duc-valley.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/hot-springs.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/elwha-research-efforts.htm
http://www.mountainnature.com/geology/HotSprings.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/glaciers.htm
https://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/nature/glaciers.htm