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Ediz Hook is a 
"The Hook" was created by wind and tidal action along the southern edge of the Strait, that carried sediment from the delta of the "Final Environmental Impact Statement - Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration"
/ref>
sand spit
A spit or sandspit is a deposition bar or beach landform off coasts or lake shores. It develops in places where re-entrance occurs, such as at a cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift by longshore currents. The drift occurs due t ...
that extends from northern shore of the Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is a large arm of land in western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the ...
at Port Angeles
Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. With a population of 19,960 as of the 2020 census, it is the largest city in the county. The population was estimated at 20,134 in 2021.
The city's har ...
in northcentral Clallam County, Washington
Clallam County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 77,155, with an estimated population of 78,209 in 2021. The county seat ...
, USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, northeasterly into the Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the centre ...
, located about west of the larger Dungeness Spit
Dungeness Spit is a sand spit jutting out approximately from the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula in northeastern Clallam County, Washington into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is the longest natural sand spit in the United States. The spi ...
. It is relatively narrow at points, but broader toward the base and the northeast tip.
Much of the spit is accessible by car on the Ediz Hook Road (1.5 to 2 miles), which passes several turnouts and picnic areas, with broad views of Port Angeles and the Olympic Mountains, notably the peaks of Mount Angeles
Mount Angeles is located just south of Port Angeles, Washington in the Olympic National Park. It is the highest peak in the Hurricane Ridge area. The summit, which offers panoramic views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and many of the peaks of th ...
and Klahhane Ridge. To the north marine traffic can be observed, and orca
The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only Extant taxon, extant species in the genus ''Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black ...
pods, harbor seal
The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...
s and other marine life can be spotted. Several long stretches of public beach facilitate beachcombing and birdwatching. The end of the spit is used by the Coast Guard and not accessible to visitors.
"The Hook" was created by wind and tidal action along the southern edge of the Strait, that carried sediment from the delta of the Elwha River
The Elwha River is a river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. From its source at Elwha snowfinger in the Olympic Mountains, it flows generally north to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Most of the river's cou ...
eastward. The presence of the sand spit creates a natural harbor to the south, with the spit sheltering the area off Port Angeles from the large ocean-sourced swells that roll eastward down the Strait.
The calm waters of the harbor and sandy beaches attracted people to the area long before the appearance of European explorers and settlers. Recently uncovered archeological evidence indicates that a community, known today as Tse-whit-zen
Tse-whit-zen (''č̕ixʷícən'' in the Klallam language, meaning "inner harbor") is a 1,700- to 2,700-year-old village of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe located along the Port Angeles, Washington waterfront. It is located at the base of Ediz H ...
, was occupied for generations by the Klallam
Klallam (also Clallam, although the spelling with "K" is preferred in all four modern Klallam communities) refers to four related indigenous Native American/First Nations communities from the Pacific Northwest of North America. The Klallam cult ...
Native American people.
After white settlement, the Ediz Hook Light
Ediz Hook Lighthouse was a lighthouse in Port Angeles, Washington, United States. Originally constructed in 1865, the lighthouse structure was later replaced in 1908 by a new structure, and finally in 1946 by an automated beacon on the United Sta ...
was established to guide ships safely by the spit in low-visibility conditions. Currently, the end of the spit serves as home for the Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles
US Coast Guard Air Station Sector Field Office Port Angeles is located at the end of the Ediz Hook peninsula in Port Angeles, Washington.
History
The Coast Guard's presence in Port Angeles began on August 1, 1862 with the arrival of the S ...
. It is also the base of operations for the Puget Sound Pilots.
For the past few decades, notable erosion of Ediz Hook has occurred. This is believed to be caused by the presence of the Elwha River dams, which have reduced the amount of sediment carried by the river. The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration
The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Project is a 21st-century project of the U.S. National Park Service to remove two dams on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, and restore the river to a natural state. It is the largest da ...
project has completed a program of dam removal that has restored the original flow patterns of the Elwha river and is expected to diminish this loss. Several projects have added large boulders to the northwest side of the spit to slow its erosion and protect the Port Angeles Harbor./ref>
References
External links
* {{Coord, 48, 8, 29, N, 123, 26, 15, W, display=title Spits of the United States