Wednesday’s Photos
Sculptures of a Bygone Era
The readers who have been following me for some time will know from my posts that the Arrow Lakes are actually the mighty Columbia River that was dammed into a giant reservoir in the late 1960s. To make room for the project, many orchards and farms were destroyed. Entire forests were cut down. People lost their homes and had to move to higher grounds. Many left the area and never returned. As a result of this upheaval, tree stumps were submerged and only surface when the lake level is down in the dry summer months. I consider these leftovers as an opportunity to capture their stark beauty. Yesterday we took the canoe for a short trip north of the Needles Ferry landing where I found these beauties on the beach. My wife’s hat added that little bit of extra that the photographer in me is always in search of. Enjoy.
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 
Gorgeous colors!
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Was für wunderschöne Fotos Peter. Der See ist ja auch einfach traumhaft. Liebe Grüße Wolfgang
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Beautiful photos, Peter. I like the natural hat rack.
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While I cannot see the pictures (I’m blind), I always like to hear about the side effects of damming, and people and animals who end up paying the price of it.
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The reflections together with the tree remnants somehow give the photos a surreal element; very intriguing. I love the one with the hat, a very personal touch!
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Stark beauty, indeed. Nature is a wonderful artist, but the hat and canoe do add a nice human touch.
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During times of drought, it’s common for fishermen around here (and other boaters, too) to head out to survey the snags and obstructions that aren’t visible when water levels are higher. Most of the ones in our bays aren’t so aesthetically pleasing as yours — but of course you have those mountains and that glorious water to serve as background for yours.
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Love the composition of 2-4! Really sad that humankind can’t just leave the rivers to run natural.
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Der Hut macht Laune!
Einen Hut in den Ring werfen…könnte man sagen 🙂
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Gorgeous photos! It is a bit sad how much land (and homes) were destroyed to make a lake. I guess I have mixed feelings about that.
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Your Arrow Lakes are a lot like the Quabbin Reservoir although the rivers dammed to create the reservoir were not nearly as large as the Columbia River and actually fairly small. But the story is the same. Land taken, homes moved or destroyed and people displaced and their lives turned upside down. Both resulted in beautiful views and opportunities to enjoy nature but at a high cost.
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The Highland Lakes in central Texas are similar, having been created by multiply damming Texas’s Colorado River. During droughts the water levels drop and ghostly tree trunks appear again.
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Nice pictures, Peter! I especially liked the hat on the branch!
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Haha! You managed to create drama with the hat.
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Beautiful! The hat made me smile.
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