In an effort to return Washington's White Salmon River to local wildlife, engineers blew a hole in the long-standing Condit Dam. Explains photographer Andy Maser, who shot this dramatic detonation:

On October 26th, a hole was blasted in the base of 125' tall Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in Washington. In less than 2 hours, the reservoir behind the dam drained completely and the White Salmon flowed unimpeded by a dam for the first time in 100 years.


It may look strangely placid from this vantage point, but no humans were on hand to witness the explosion, as the shock wave would be enough to cause onlookers to bleed out of their ears. You can read more about this project at the White Salmon Time Lapse site.

[Via National Geographic]