Does anyone live on mount st helens

Neuneker says. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The mountain, 9, feet before the eruption and 8, feet after, is already being compared to the Grand Canyon in its appeal to tourists.

Of its 1 million visitors a year, about 80 percent come from outside of Washington. Another big eruption is not expected in the near future, because the volcano has let off so much pressure. The eruption occurred after a 5. A dome that is slowly building in the crater could become a new mountaintop. The pace of life in the hilly region around Mt. But new industries, based on the volcano as a tourist attraction, have taken up some of the slack.

A large hotel and recreation complex is planned by private investors. Neuneker says Castle Rock might have died without the volcano. The eruption also brought millions of dollars worth of contracted engineering projects and timber-salvaging operations to the region. Much of the work is temporary, but it has provided income for area residents. In Longview, Wash. Dredging, however, produced 3, acres of new industrial land that will increase the importance of Longview, Kalama, and Woodland, all small Columbia River ports, Mr.

Thompson says. In tended areas, some trees planted four years ago are already four feet tall. And elk, among many animals killed in the eruption, have reappeared. Many parts of the Toutle River, however, were ruined for fish by silt and by loss of vegetation. But the fish will swim through bad water to spawn in undamaged tributaries, a fact that has surprised fish biologist Bob Lucas. Lucas of the Washington State Department of Game. Because some undamaged tributaries will be filled in by the dam, the state is planning to trap the fish and truck them to unaffected waters upstream.

On the morning of May 18, , a year-old volcanologist named David Johnston was staring at the north slope of Mount St. Two months earlier, the volcano had signaled its return to life after years of hibernation. Shallow earthquakes were followed by steam explosions and hiccups of ash. The USGS had sent a team to monitor the activity. Johnston was a principal scientist heading up the volcanic gas studies and was posted at an observation point 6 miles north of the mountain.

The sky was clear that day, and the sun rose at a. So did Johnston. Out of his camper, Johnston checked the growing bulge of St. Helens with geodetic equipment. The growth had slowed. It was only about two feet bigger than a day earlier. At a. Helens Eruption. Not two hours later, at a.

The mountain began spewing steam and gas and, seconds later, it erupted from its north side. Not its peak, but the face Johnston was examining.

A dense mass of super-hot ash, lava and gas came screaming at Johnston at supersonic speeds. Though six miles away, Johnston had less than a minute to react. This is it! Seconds later, his signal went silent.

The eruption was heard hundreds of miles away. Ash rained on Spokane and as far as Nebraska. Johnston was the first of them. He was joined by Harry Glicken, another USGS volcanologist who had switched shifts with Johnston so he could talk with a professor about his ongoing graduate work.

Also on board was Barry Voight, geologist and brother to Jon, the actor. A decade later, Glicken was doing research on the active Mount Unzen in Japan. It erupted and he was killed, just like Johnston. The two are the only American volcanologists to be killed in volcanic eruptions. A lot of the floating mat of logs that are now still on Spirit Lake and moving around with the winds, those were trees that were on the slope between the main body of the volcano down to the shores of Spirit Lake.

They were shoved into the lake by the landslide. Before the volcano, it held all those trees that are now floating in Spirit Lake, and it was home to countless creatures and plants that call a forest home. But the plain was "sterilized of life" by the eruption, according to the Mount St. Help protect, enhance, and promote these majestic places. National Parks Conservation Association charity code — Preserves national parks from the Grand Canyon to Gettysburg protects endangered wildlife and cultural sites promotes new parks defends against pollution, inappropriate development and overcrowding.

This charity is a part of EarthShare Washington. Washington Trails Association charity code — Protects trails, wilderness the environment leads youth and adult volunteers in maintaining hiking trails in Cascade and Olympic mountains promotes hiking for health and recreation. The Mountaineers charity code — The Mountaineers is a nonprofit outdoor education, recreation and conservation organization whose mission is to enrich the community by helping people explore, conserve, learn about and enjoy the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

We can only continue to do this with your donations for equipment, training and supplies. UW Combined Fund Drive. May 18, 41 Years After Mount St. Give now Donate, search for charities or manage your current pledges.