Since March 5, the last time I was at the mouth of the Elwha, the river has flooded much of the lower ground east of the dike--the river side of the dike--burying most of the rocky and sandy habitat I've photographed in for several years under inches of silt mud. (A bugguide search on "Elwha" will yield many submissions.)

This is a result of recent heavy rains and the removal of the two dams on the Elwha. Most of the silt is being washed down from the former Lake Mills.

Though I've seen O. richardsoni several miles south on the Elwha (just above the former Lake Mills), and on the Dungeness river to the east, I've never seen it at this location. I saw several individuals today, scuttling around on the silt. (I'm tempted to say they wondered where their protective rocks had gotten to.)

The photo isn't great: grayish green beetle on gray mud with a low sun.