For the past three weeks the removal of Condit Dam can be found on nearly every major news source throughout the country, from Portland's Oregonian to CNN. 

A landmark river restoration event, everyone wants to display the impressive images of the blast.

However, it has been the work of one individual's dedication to the highest quality photography and video that have gotten the news spread so far and wide.

As many expected, the breach of Condit Dam was probably the biggest - and most viewed - moment in river conservation history. At 12:00 pm on Wednesday, October 26, 2011 nearly 300 people anxiously sat behind Wet Planet, waiting for a sight they could never have expected.

When the dynamite blew and the plume of water shot from the base of the dam, the entire tent erupted in cheers.

No one expected the power of the flood, no one knew Northwestern Lake would drain so fast, and no one could keep their eyes off the live-video feed for a while.

The event at Wet Planet was hosted by some of the nation's and the region's most influential river conservation organizations.

The 2011 Wet Planet Peru Expedition exceeded everyone's expectations, even the intrepid international guide Brian Lee. As with any good whitewater expedition in a developing nation, the trip had its share of trials and tribulations, to remind us of the great lengths we go to for the ultimate adventure. River Explorers, Wet Planet's Peruvian partner, employs a very talented, professional, and thoroughly intriguing staff.

Below are highlights from Brian's official trip report, enough to get every other Wet Planet staff member excited for future international river travel.

A variety of people will rejoice this Wednesday during the first breach of Condit Dam on the White Salmon River. 

From the Native Americans whose ancestry is linked to the White Salmon for generations, to the fish biologists who live to see salmon spawning, to the whitewaters kayakers who intimately know every drop of water that flows from the glaciers on Mt Adams all the way to the Columbia.

This Sunday's issue of the Oregonian tells the story of three individuals who all stand eagerly along the river, waiting for the river to burst free from Condit Dam.  Wet Planet's Susan Hollingsworth was fortunate enough to be featured in this cover story, telling the greater Portland metro area about her personal connection with the flow of the river and the conservation movement associated with this monumental river restoration.

Something big is happening on the White Salmon River this week and we know that you want to get out there and celebrate it. Check out these local events, hosted by your favorite non-profits and river advocates, to commemorate and raise a toast the the removal of Condit Dam on October 26th, 2011.

More Dam Fun: A Kick-Off of the Condit Dam Removal

BOOM: Condit Dam Comes Down

Live-Video of Blast at Skylight Theater

and more...

With the first breach of Condit Dam right around the corner and the White Salmon River anxiously waiting to burst free, excitement in the Columbia River Gorge couldn't be higher.

However, not everyone is brimming with enthusiasm and ready to raise a toast during the big moment. PacifiCorp, the owner and operator of Condit Dam, has expressed concern that the big blast moment might have to be postponed.

That is, if any outsider decides to jeopardize the grand undertaking.

Released last week on October 20, 2011, PacifiCorp's Safety Closures Near Condit Dam in South Central Washington outlines essential precautions they will be taking to maintain a proper time frame. These guidelines help ensure that no one will get hurt during the impressive feat scheduled for Wednesday, October 26th.

And let me just say, these are no meager precautions.

Over the past few weeks Wet Planet has been proud to escort Rod Engle down the White Salmon River. This man is no average whitewater rafting guest.

Rod's work as a biologist for the US Fish & Wildlife Service in the Columbia River Gorge makes him one of the most excited individuals to be rafting down the White Salmon River right now. Rod and his guide have been counting salmon redds (nests) and dead fish (signifying that they have already spawned in hopes of guessing how many fish will survive the removal of Condit Dam.

As a kayaker, BZ Corners in south central Washington might just be the best place to live in al the Pacific Northwest. At least that is what kayaking and athlete professional Heather Herbeck says.

With the support of American Rivers and American Whitewater, Andy Maser has put together the second film in the "Year of the River" series, featuring this Wet Planet staff member and her personal connection to the White Salmon River.

From getting record numbers of kids out on the water, to raising thousands of dollars for First Descents, to sunny class V rafting, to a national river restoration event on our home river, 2011 has been a year to remember.  

A Staff Trip To Set The Tone

While Wet Planet operates twelve months a year, the beginning of the river season really sets the wheels in motion for a successful whitewater rafting and kayaking year. Every river runner knows the best way to celebrate another season is with a big river trip on the Owyhee River.

Emphasis on the big river.

They came from all corners of the country: Cat and Drew from Asheville, NC, Nicki and Brian from Crested Butte, Giani from Montana, and many from right here in the Columbia River Gorge. Friends reunited, celebrating with dutch ovens, surf sessions, canyon side-hikes, and some delicious cocktails (I'm partial to Jaco's spiced wine).

Why is it called the "White Salmon" River?  

Go into any grocery's fish counter in the Northwest and the only kind of salmon you can buy is pink, not white.  

Why then is the town named White Salmon, the glacier on Mt Adams named White Salmon, the major river flowing from the White Salmon glacier on Mt Adams named White Salmon, and even the next "Little" drainage to the west all...White Salmon?   

As the commotion of a busy whitewater rafting and kayaking summer slowly dissipates as the chilly fall months get closer, other forms of excitement are filling the air around the White Salmon River.

These days the fish are causing this commotion.

There are not only fish in our river, there are monster Chinook salmon in our river.

These fish did not come her gradually. They arrived all at once, filling the river with life and reminding us that the rapids along the Wild and Scenic stretch of the river actually connect with the broad and distant ocean.

Deconstruction at Condit Dam seems to be happening at an incredibly rapid pace, especially considering how long it took to reach this point in the decommission process. The deep and nearly inaccessible canyon surrounding the dam makes viewing this process impossible.

However, local filmmaker and photographer Andy Maser and Watershed Coordinator for Hood River Watershed Group Steve Stampfli, are keeping the public on the edge of their seats with plenty of juicy photos, videos, and reports of all the Condit Dam deconstruction progress.

Rivers are deep, they are dynamic, and they are wild.  We may plan to paddle a run smoothly, waltz up to our vehicles at take-out, and laugh over the day's adventures, but the inherent unpredictability of a river often means our plans don't always play out as we intend.

Rescue 3 International helps river users and rescue professionals learn efficient techniques to both prevent and diffuse a potentially hazardous situation on the water.  The three-day Swiftwater Rescue Technician and Whitewater Rescue Technician course, held here at Wet Planet, helps provide essential tools, information, and practice time for anyone responding to a water rescue.

When Brian Davis from the US Fish and Wildlife Service walked into Wet Planet on Monday morning, it was obvious he was not checking-in for a rafting trip.  Dressed in chest-high waders, Brian wanted to know if he could dump some freshly captured Thule Chinook salmon into the river at our take-out location. 

Brian and his co-workers are attempting to relocate at least 500 salmon from the base of Condit Dam.  Using large encircling seine nets, the fish are corralled and moved to storage tanks on Fish & Wildlife vehicles.  This method is the only way fish have been able to reach the premier spawning grounds the White Salmon River has to offer for the last 98 years.  With the 125 ft Condit Dam blocking upstream passage, the stream's native salmon have resorted to using warmer, less ideal (and less successful) grounds to spawn. 

With all the action here on the White Salmon River with the removal of Condit Dam, we almost forgot to propose a toast to the other major river restoration project here in the Pacific Northwest.  Tomorrow, Saturday, September 17, 2011, ground will be broken to remove two dams on the Elwha River in Washington's spectacular Olympic National Park.

The Glines Canyon Dam, at 210 ft tall and 84 years old, stands just below the Elwha Dam, at 108 ft. tall and 98 years old.  For the next three years, construction crews will work to remove all evidence of hydropower from both sites, restoring the river to its once free-flowing nature.  

The parallels to our own hydropower removal project appear in multiple areas.