MASTER INDEX TO
HISTORICAL NEWSPAPER FLOOD ARTICLE RESEARCH
Researched, assembled and organized by: Dan Berentson, Josef and Larry
Kunzler
Index prepared by Larry Kunzler, 12/15/2005
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DATE/
PAPER
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ARTICLE
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COMMENTS
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10/21/1895
The Skagit News
(“TSN”)
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memorial
to the senate and house of representatives
The undersigned citizens of Skagit County, State of Washington,
believe that a fair consideration of the conditions surrounding the Skagit River and tributary country will
induce such liberal action on the part of Congress as will meet the
requirements of our present environments and prevent any disaster in the
future such as we have suffered in the past. . . . The surveys
already made, and the map attached hereto sustains the statement that there
are tributary to Skagit
River about forty
Townships, or over fourteen hundred square miles of land. A large
proportion of this country is now, and all of it, when developed, must be
largely dependent for its commerce on this important River. It is
navigable for light draft Steamers from its mouth to Sauk
City, a distance of about seventy
miles, and at some seasons to Marblemount, fifteen miles above Sauk City.
. . . A system of dikes extends on both sides of the River from its
mouth to and above the village of Avon, about fifteen miles; and connecting
with the main system, are other dikes, running across the level country
toward LaConner and other points to the North and South of the River.
This diking system has been rendered necessary by the filling in of the bed
and mouths of the River, from causes which will be explained, and ought to be
remedied. The system, already constructed and maintained, embraces one
hundred and fifty-eight miles of dikes, and has cost in money and labor
expended in construction, the large sum of three hundred and thirty-five
thousand dollars. All of this has been expended by owners of land in
the Skagit valley, including the residents
of towns liable to inundation. . . .
Before the mouth of the river began to be
obstructed, the accumulating waters of the greatest freshets did not overflow
the banks. A channel varying in depth from twelve to twenty feet was a
sufficient outlet for all the water that passed in swift torrents from the
mountains and highlands of the North and East. . . . The main
channel or mouth of the River is now closed from an accumulation of logs,
driftwood and sediment. Where a few years ago Steamers could safely
navigate in fifteen feet of water persons can now walk from one bank of the
River to the other on logs, or other obstruction. The only entrance
from the Sound into the Skagit is by way of a small Slough,
narrow and unsafe, and through which Steamers at high tide can find only
about six feet of water. The North fork of the River, through which
navigation was formerly maintained, is now practically closed, and no boat
can traverse its waters. The South fork is only navigable from Fir,
where it flows through and becomes a part of Steamboat Slough, heretofore
mentioned. Various reasons may be assigned for the obstruction and
closing of the two mouths of the River, but until Boom Companies were
permitted to place obstructions in the River and to locate their booms and appliances
near the mouths, there was no trouble about overflows.
We call your attention to the fact that since November, 1892, the floods in
the Skagit have four times swept over the
banks, broken the dikes and inundated the surrounding country. The
destruction of property by the overflow in November, 1892, and January, 1895,
was not very great, but the overflow in May, 1894, and June of that year
entailed a direct loss on the people of the Skagit Valley as shown by
estimates attached hereto, approximating one-half million of dollars.
The town of Mount Vernon
was entirely flooded, small boats and rafts navigated the streets and the
people were driven from their homes for safety to the hills. The damage
to public and private property was great, and the suffering from exposure and
sickness was distressing.
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Unfortunately the newspaper did not publish
the names or who wrote this Memorial.
The first documented
“investigation” of the Skagit
River was done by the
Corps of Engineers in 1890. On October 13, 1890 Capt. E.H. Jefferson
wrote: “There are several sloughs and channels through which the
river finds its way to salt water. Steamboat Slough
is the principal one, and used by the Steamers. The others are inferior
and operated by the log-boom companies.”
158 miles of dikes. Cost $335,000.
These paragraphs strongly suggest that
before the log boom companies came that the river did not flood. This
of course was not true.
The 1897 Corps survey map shows that the
“Old Main Channel” was completely obstructed with log jams.
One has to wonder how much of this log jam was created by the removal of the
log jams further upriver at Mt.
Vernon.
Previously it has been believed that the
only time downtown Mt.
Vernon went underwater
was in the flood of 1897. (See Skagit Argus article 12/15/21.) Clearly
this Memorial contradicts that statement. It is also the first time
that a summer flood was documented as having hit the valley. Why
didn’t Stewart find any evidence of this flood event or for that matter
even mention it?
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11/16/1896
TSN
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The Highest Water
Known
The highest water in the Skagit River
known to white men occurred last night. On last Thursday a Chinook wind
commenced to blow which was accompanied by a warm rain. This rapidly
cut away the snow which for several weeks had been creeping down the mountain
sides. The wind continued over Friday when the river commenced to rise
rapidly. By Saturday afternoon the river was booming and many thought
it had reached its highest stage. This however, was not the case as it
continued to creep upward during yesterday, and until last night. As
the water gradually rose on the levees it became apparent that unless
strenuous efforts were made to raise them, the town would be flooded.
The experience of former occasion was enough to induce all parties to lend a
hand, so that when the fire bell rang out the alarm, not for fire gut water,
an army of men turned out with shovels and commenced to build a dike on top
of the levee, commending at the hill and working clear down through the
city. This work saved the town, and but for it, from ten to eighteen
inches of water would have swept over the levees and through the city.
. . . Six hundred feet of the Great
Northern railroad track between the bridge and Burlington were washed out, . . . The protection pier at the Great Northern bridge was knocked
out and that structure was in great danger of being washed away. .
. . Two big breaks in the levee on the west side occurred. One near
F.C. Ward’s place, the other at D. Storr’s
place. The whole west side including West Mt. Vernon, is a lake.
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NOVEMBER 16, 1896
FLOOD
USGS (Stewart) says 185,000 cfs at
Sedro-Woolley. No figure for Concrete.
“The experience of former occasion
was enough to induce all parties to lend a hand…” This
statement confirms that downtown Mt.
Vernon had indeed gone
under before.
According to COE reports there were 3
floods in 1896. January, June & November. The COE Taylor Report 12/11/1897 stated that
“River reportedly was 24 ft on Great Northern Railroad Bridge 6 miles
above Mt. Vernon.”, which was 2 ft and 4
ft above the January and June floods respectively.
Burlington levees
broke. Westside Mt. Vernon levees broke.
Clearly damage not as great as 1917.
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11/16/1896
TSN
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Protecting the
banks
One of the most important questions for the
consideration of the settlers of the Skagit Valley
is an adequate protection to the rivers banks from wash during high
water. It is possible to build a levee of sufficient height to prevent
overflow, but it is impossible to build a levee that shall withstand the slow
undermining of the river at its base. So far, several methods have been
tried but none of them are entirely satisfactory. The New Orleans
Picayune of Aug. 16 has a description of a system which has been tried along
the banks of the Mississippi,
with the most satisfactory results. The following extract from the
article will explain the system:
The system was invented by Messers. R.H.F.
and N. H. Sewall. The former gentlemen being interviewed stated that
their system of dikes is nothing new to the engineers and citizens at large
who are interested in such work. . . . The plan is to construct
spur dikes of timber at intervals along the caving banks. These dikes
project upstream at an angle of about 25 degrees. They are constructed
of piling driven 80 to 85 feet into the river bottom; the water will fall
into the angle formed by the dike and the bank, and be held there, forming a
motionless body of water on both sides of the dike, which leaves no pressure
against same. The deposit of the silt laden waters of the Mississippi
will b stopped by the dike and will gradually settle, forming an accretion
which will eventually create a batture.
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New Kind of Dikes
The Sewall’s might have taken credit
for this design but it is very similar to what a hydraulic engineer professor
in the early 1500’s taught to his class. That engineer was
Leonardo daVinci.
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11/19/1896
SCT
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The great flood --
The Skagit on a big tear -- The Skagit Valley From The Baker Valley To The
LaConner Flats Washed By The Ruinous Flood—Stock And Improvements
Carried Away
On Wednesday of last week, the wind began
to blow from southeast and, before evening had developed into a chinook gale. Unfortunately for the river bottom settlers
of the Skagit valley, the warm wind
continued until about 4 p.m. Sunday. On Friday the Skagit
began to rise quite rapidly and continued rising at an average rate of three
inches an hour until Sunday morning when it began to abate. In the afternoon
of that day, the river had risen until all previous highwater marks at Sedro
was one foot seven inches under water. The whole valley east of Sedro
was a floating wilderness. Hamilton
was totally inundated; one brick building having caved in and several frame
ones torn from their foundations. The county bridges recently
constructed wee destroyed and the improved roads that had become the pride of
the upper valley became an easy prey to the devastating waters. Lower Sedro suffered heavily. A large number of
cattle and small stock perished and buildings ruthlessly torn from their
foundations were cast hap-hazard amid the heaps of debris. Mortimer
Cook’s store that has weathered the floods and storms of fifteen years,
rose with the eddying waters and turned half way round before lodging against
some trees and stumps.
. . . South Burlington
sustained great damage. Houses and barns were undermined and toppled to
the ground and the winter’s supply which they contained scattered on
the tide. The fencing of years yielded to the flood and the clearings
that represented the toil of a decade were covered with the debris of the
surrounding forest. . . . West Mount Vernon
is next in line of progress and received no favor from the impartial
flood. The water, rising from one to two feet above the first floor of
the dwellings, swept fences and everything movable before it. . .
. In the year 1878 Joseph Hart, our well known fellow citizen, came to
Puget Sound and two years latter came to the Skagit
valley, just prior to the great flood of 1880. Since the flood of that
year there have been three freshets that have equaled it in height, and the
one we chronicle this week surpassed it by eighteen inches. . . .
In speaking of the floods and their causes, Mr. Hart said: “At
the time of my coming to the valley there had been no freshets of note for
many years, and the one that came in 1880 was a damper to the enthusiasm of
the dwellers on the marsh lands; but, as several years rolled by without a
repetition of the catastrophe and a system of dikes was inaugurated,
contentment banished fear. Shortly after the memorable high water of
that year, I had a talk with an old Indian and his squaw, who used to live on
Skiyou Island but have since died of
small-pox. These worthies took me to a tree near by and directed my
attention to a water mark at least six feet higher than the highest point
reached by the recent freshet and said that when they were children the great
flood swept down the valley carrying death and destruction everywhere.
He said: ‘The lodges of my people were carried with their canoes
and winters food out to the great waters, and they were left to suffer the
horrors of starvation and death from exposure to the inclement
elements. The snows of winter fell to an unusual depth and the animals
upon which we were wont to subsist, greatly reduced in numbers by drowning
and driven into the mountain fastnesses by the raging torrent, were hard to
get and very poor. The fish we had prepared for winter use were
destroyed by the angry waters and we were made to suffer the wrath of the
Great Spirit.’ ” Continuing Mr. Hart said: “Judging
from the apparent age of the Indians at that time I should place the time of
that greatest of the great freshets at about the beginning of the present
century, and was caused according to the story of these Indians, by heavy
snows coming early in the fall, which were immediately succeeded by a very
warm Chinook wind which blew for many days. As to this being the only
and real cause of the unprecedented high water, however, I have my
doubts. Our fellow townsman, Mr. H.L. Devin, was some years ago engaged
in surveying in the upper valley in the vicinity of Baker
Lake. Being detained over night in an Indian camp, he was
told the history of a great flood. They said that about 60 years ago a
great slide had choked up the narrow outlet of the Baker Valley
and that the water accumulated in the basin thus formed until the whole
valley was an immense lake, full 80 feet deep. By this time the
imprisoned waters had burst through the dam and in a few hours this great
volume of water was precipitated into the Skagit
flooding the whole valley. The water marks still plainly visible high
up the sides of the Baker Valley and the great variation in those upon the
trees as you come down the Skagit would
indicate that this was the real cause of that terrible disaster.
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NOVEMBER 16, 1896
FLOOD
3 inches an hour for approximately 48 hours
would be 144 inches or only 12 feet. This would not be a very large
flood by todays standards even if we assume the
river was at 20 feet when it started to rise. This could explain why
the COE stated the BNSF RR bridge only reached 24 feet (See TSN
entry 11/16/1898). Burlington
at that time was not protected by levees and the water must have flowed down
Gages Slough.
Cook’s store was located on the edge
of the river.
South Burlington would have been
the Gages Slough area. No references to downtown Burlington.
West Mt. Vernon water one to two feet deep.
Water only a foot and a half more then
three previous floods since 1880. This would have included the 1884
flood that inundated downtown Mt.
Vernon. (See 1895
article above.)
This would have been the 1815 flood Stewart
talked about. Stewart later recanted this by saying The old Indian who
told Hart and others at Sedro Woolley in 1879 that the flood was when he was
a boy either referred to another flood or they did not understand him.”
(Source: Transcription of
Stewart “flood notes” on 9/16/22 by USGS 6/30/23 re Reflector Bar
near Marblemount)
The narrow outlet in the Baker Valley
would be where Upper Baker Dam is now. Baker
River before the dam ran on the east
side of Baker Valley.
Water marks up the sides of the Baker Valley
and on trees down the Skagit. USGS now
says this flood never happened because they can’t find any evidence.
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1/4/1897
TSN
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Dikes And
Fisheries
Upon the call of Representative J. E.
Nelson quite a large number of Skagit county people who are interested in the
subjects of dikes and fisheries gathered in the court house in Mount Vernon last
Tuesday and a thorough discussion was had of the needs of the county in
relation to the above subjects. In the matter of improving the diking
system it was the universal opinion that the first and most important steps
to be taken is to secure the removal of the “boom works” from the
mouth of the river so that the water will carry its load of debris out to sea
instead of depositing it in the river channels where it forms a dam to the
free outlet. Old settlers related that in the early days before the
erection of the “boom works” there were three clear channels out
to deep water with a depth of from 16 to 18 feet of water, but immediately
following the construction of the “boom works” the channels began
to fill up with drift until now there is but one navigable channel and that
has only a depth of about 6 or 8 feet in a most tortuous channel. . .
. In regard to the fishing interests it was the general opinion that
laws should be passed prohibiting the erection of traps in or near the mouth
of any river or in any “fish runway.” And further that the
state would foster the fishing industry by the establishment of an additional
number of hatcheries.
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River used to have “3 clear
channels”. The one they are talking about in this article is
Steamboat Slough.
North and South Forks used to be 16 to 18
feet deep.
Steamboat Slough
6-8 feet deep.
No “fish traps” in or near the
mouth of river or in any “fish runways”. Should build fish
hatcheries.
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11/22/1897
The
Skagit
News
Herald
(“TSN-H”)
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Disastrous Flood
-- Mt. Vernon Is A Heavy Sufferer
Levees Overflowed
and Sidewalks Washed Out. A Torrent of Water Pours Through The
City. Several Houses Wrecked and One or Two Narrow Escapes.
On Wednesday morning a very warm Chinook
wind commended to blow which increased in force until evening, when it was
almost a gale. This hot wind blowing directly on the snow which had
been creeping down the hills for the last few weeks, cut it away with the
rapidity of fire, and resulted in a raging torrent rushing down the valley of
the Skagit on its way to the
sea. The rise did not commence until Wednesday evening, as it
usually takes from twelve to fourteen hours for the effects of a Chinook to
make their appearance, and the same time to cease. By Thursday the
river was still raising but still within the banks. During the night,
however the water came with increased force, and early on Friday morning the
alarm was whistled from the electric light plant which called for help only
to find the water pouring over the levees in all directions. Some
efforts were made to raise the levees and keep ahead of the water, but it
came so fast that they were useless. . . . In the southern part
of the city, the very lowest quarter, a great break occurred in the levee, caused
by the water pouring over the top, which swept everything before it with
irresistible force. . . . After the flood Kincaid Street presented a sight that
was dismal in the extreme, being washed out and lined with debris from one
end to the other. All other parts of the city were in nearly as bad
condition. . . . From Conway
to salt water, the flood poured over the top of the levee the entire distance
on the east side of the river.
On the west side of the river several small
breaks occurred letting through large volumes of water. But little
damage was caused however. . . . At one time the bridge across
the river at this point was in real danger. A jam had formed on one of
the piers which gradually increased in size until it reached almost across
the river. By good work and the liberal use of giant powder, the jam
was finally broken, and the bridge cleared. It is badly damaged
however, and cannot be used by teams until repaired. The protection
pier on the next span east of the draw was knocked completely out, and the
full force of the jam came against the main pier, springing it fully 18
inches out of plumb. . . . At the mouth of the river, steamboat
slough, the only channel that can be used by steamboats, is completely
blockaded. . . . The Great Northern coast line was overflowed as
usual, but not so badly damaged as it was last year. The first train
from the south came in today. A jam formed against the bridge at the Davis place, and came
near taking it out. As it was the protection piers were knocked out,
and the rails on the bridge were sprung fully 18 inches.
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NOVEMBER 18, 1897
FLOOD
USGS (Stewart) says 275,000 cfs at
Concrete, 190,000 cfs Sedro-Woolley.
12-14 hours is still what it takes for
flood waters to get from Concrete to Mt. Vernon.
Water pouring “over” the
levees. This is the first time we have seen evidence of water over the
levees.
Downtown Mt. Vernon
flooded.
Kincaid
Street washed out.
Conway levees
overtopped. Fir
Island levees broke.
Log jam on Riverside
bridge.
Steamboat Slough
blocked with log jam. No channel open to the sound.
Great Northern (BNSF) bridge damaged by log
jam.
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11/22/04
Skagit
County
Times
(“SCT”)
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the sterling cut-off
Meeting at Commercial Club Last Tuesday –
some opposition met with by property owners in that locality
The meeting held on Tuesday afternoon at the Commercial Club rooms to
consider the matter of securing the right-of-way for the Sterling Bend
Cut-off in the Skagit river was largely
attended by the owners of property adjacent to the proposed cut-off, and the
owners of property which is being damaged by the present erratic course of
the river. The urgent necessity for action in securing an appropriation
as soon as possible in order to prevent the great amount of further
damage threatened, seemed to be thoroughly appreciated by all who have seen
the effects of the high floods during a long residence along the river, but
it developed that parties who have recently settled on the river and have not
had any experience of extreme high waters were unable to appreciate the
possible consequences to their property should the cut-off fail to be
secured.
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Sterling Cut-Off
It is believed that they were talking about
cutting off the Sterling Bend as at that time the Skagit used to flow around
Hart’s Island and during times of flooding the river would flow across
Highway 20 (the “Old Dollar Road”) into Gages Slough (Varney
Slough).
In 1911 during a very small flood event the
local farmers took dynamite and blew up a log jam causing the river to change
channel. (Source: 1923 Stewart Report)
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4/20/05
SCT
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The ferry
The above illustration of the ferry across
the Skagit river at the foot of Third Street is
from a negative made by G. C. White. It is a spot visited by many during
the pleasant weather, the beauties of the Skagit
river being presented in a charming manner to those who take a trip
across. At this point the river is nearly a thousand feet across.
The Skagit river bears the distinction of being the largest water course in
the state, after the Columbia.
The scenery along the banks is varied, increasing in beauty in its upward
course. Several of these ferry’s are in operation at different
points along the river.
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Skagit River Ferries
This is a great picture of how local
residents would cross the river in “the early days.”
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9/4/06
TSN-H
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Developing The
Country -- Railway Activity Is Skagit County
The Great Northern
is Planning Much Improvement for Next Year
Within the next year Skagit
county will be developed more than has been the case since the county has
been in existence. This is made possible from the fact that Mr. James
J. Hill, who deserves the title of Father of the Northwest, is planning many
valuable improvements on such a nature as will bring into the county hundreds
of people who will settle upon the rich lands and improve and develop the
many resources. . . . For a number of years the mining men of Skagit Pass, of Ruby and State creek have
cried out for roads and transportation facilities, but have been unable to
get them. . . . That Skagit
county has paying mineral deposits there is but the slightest question.
She has not only gold and silver but iron and copper and cement rock and
other valuable minerals. . . . But the mineral is not Mr. Hills
only object, there are great forests of timber to be moved and there are
fertile acres to be developed in the future.
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Railroad
Development
There’s gold in them thar hills.
And a few trees and good farmland too.
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9/10/06
TSN-H
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Our Resources Are
Many -- A Splendid Poor Man’s Country
Work is Plentiful
at All Times and Wages are Always Good
What Skagit
county needs is more people to develop the great rich fields which spread off
every hand. There is not a country on earth where so many rich stores
await the hand of toil and there is not a land extant where the poor man can
so nicely get along and soon be in easy circumstances. Skagit county is
one vast field of richness, producing the greatest hay, grain, vegetables and
fruits to be found anywhere and once this becomes known to the eastern man
who is seeking a home, it will be only the matter of a very few years until
this whole country will be alive with industrious men, building homes and
developing the great resources which surround them. Our county needs
advertising we must place before the people that which we have for
sale. . . . Let the eastern people know that we have a land of
perfect health, that we have no heat or cold to the extreme, just an even,
pleasant climate where health is catching and nature has a bountifully
blessed the country with scenic mountains, sapphire seas, fantastic forest,
green islands, and crystal lakes. Let this be known and Skagit county will not be long in claiming her
own.
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The Selling of Skagit County
“What Skagit
County needs is more people . . . . “ Perhaps today this
statement would not be so true.
Interesting in this article is that it
doesn’t mention floods.
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11/16/06
The
Journal
(“TJ”)
|
Skagit
River
Out Of Its Banks
Water In Valley
Highest Known for Years—Burlington
High and Dry—Very Little Damage
On Thursday evening the Skagit
river was the highest known for years. Some damage was done at various
points on the river. West Mt, Vernon
was flooded, but with very light damage. The west span of the bridge at
that place was swept away. The draw on the railroad bridge was slightly
damaged by a heavy drift but will soon be repaired. No water came
within the corporate limits of Burlington
except in the slough in the east part of town, and no damage was done.
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NOVEMBER 16, 1906
FLOOD
USGS (Stewart) says 180,000 cfs at
Sedro-Woolley. No figure for Concrete.
“highest known for years”
Should have read highest since 1897 which according to USGS was 275,000 cfs
at Concrete and 190,000 cfs at Sedro-Woolley. Burlington had no water in 1906 according
to this article.
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11/19/06
TSN-H
|
Highest Water In
Many Years – Skagit
River Goes On Big
Rampage
All Bridges are
Damaged and Dikes Broken in a Number of Places Along the River
While no great amount of damage resulted,
it is never the less a fact that the old timer does not remember when the
Skagit river contained as much water as it did Thursday night and Friday, and
only prompt action on the part of the city officials and citizens saved the
town from being inundated. The dikes here were very secure and did not
break but the torrents of water poured over them and it was only by prompt
action on the part of the citizens, who labored like Trojans filling sacks of
sand and placing them in the low places, that saved the city from another
baptism worse than that of 1897, as the water was at least eight inches
higher than it was during that memorable freshet. . . . The
greatest damage done is to the numerous bridges along the river. The railway
bridge between this city and Burlington has
been greatly damaged and one span of the Mt. Vernon
bridge was swept away which leaves the city practically cut away from all
communications. . . . The bridge at this place will never lament with
safety, one span carried away, the others injured. A ferry will be
established and sustained here until such time as a new bridge can be
constructed. . . . . These floods are fraught with no great danger and
throughout the country where the dikes gave way there has been no loss of
life and but little damage to property and the farmers are not at all
discouraged or alarmed about the future. The dikes in the main remained
secure and when the damaged dikes are repaired they will be made sufficiently
strong to withstand all future floods. Any home seeker or investor when
contemplating coming to Skagit
Valley should not
hesitate to do so for in truth these floods are of no great consequence
except what damage is done to bridges. They really benefit the land, but
there is no doubt but in future years the dikes will be so strengthen as to
withstand these floods and the country back of them will always remain dry.
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Reported Flood
Levels do not Support Stewart
“no great damage”.
Mt. Vernon levees did not break.
This begs the question how did they end up
with 8 inches higher water with 5,000 cfs less water.
Bridges damaged.
“No great danger from
floods.” In a few years they will regret making that statement.
Floods “really benefit the
land.”
|
11/19/06
TSN-H
|
There should not be too much blame laid at
the door of the dike commissioners because of the dikes breaking. Those
dikes wee built under many difficulties and considering the newness of the
country they have held in pretty good shape. The majority of dikes
withstood the floods and in a majority of cases the commissioners are to be
commended upon their excellent work. Where logs or stumps were left in
the dikes it is to be regretted, but remember that at this time floods
extended almost from coast to coast.
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Dike Commissioners
Not The Blame
|
11/19/06
TSN-H
|
Freaks Of The Big
Freshet -- Many Curious Turns Are Suddenly Taken
Great Excavations
are Made Showing the Wonderful Depth of Skagit County Soil
Although no great killing damage was done
by the deed of last week, still at certain places the waters cut many curious
capers, especially on the ferry road above the city where the greatest amount
of damage was done to fences, walks, houses and barns. In places great
excavations 400 feet in length and several feet deep were made. . . .
Great stumps were washed out by the roots leaving the deep excavations all
the way from 12 to 20 feet in depth. Old logs which had been buried no
doubt for a century were exhumed by the playful waters leaving great trenches
washed deep into the soil. Below the city in the vicinity of Cedardale, the dykes gave way because of stumps being
unintentionally left in them. These stumps were several feet below the
surface and unknown to the dike commissioners. The waters however
entered a rat hole, found their way and the stumps came to the surface by
following the crevices made by the stumps at last passing through and soon
soaked the dike until it gave way. The waters then lifted the great
roots from hiding places of great years and tumbled them into the great
torrents which rushed through the dikes. . . . The report
published in the P.I. that the dykes at Avon
had broken is false, as there is not a break in the dyke within a mile of
that town. . . . The dykes at Mt. Vernon
did not break, all stood secure until the city limits were passed. Just
above the city the dyke gave way and the water backed into West Mt. Vernon,
making quite a serious time for their inhabitants of that side of the river,
but all escaped unharmed, no less save a few chickens. . . . The
citizens take the freaks of the river in a philosophical manner and are not
in the least discouraged.
|
Dikes Blew Because
of “Rat Holes & Stumps”
Great excavations 400 ft in length and
several feet deep.
Old logs buried for 100 years.
Avon levees did not
break. City of Mt.
Vernon levees did not
break. Just above city levees broke and backed into West Mt. Vernon.
Floods not a big deal??
|
11/19/06
TSN-H
|
True flood report
We have done a little wading and done a
little swimming, And we hit for good tall timber when the river got to
raging, But we didn’t lose our horses, our cattle, nor our women,
Though the water was rather wet and quite above its staging. . . .
So here’s to good ole Mt. Vernon and
the fertile Skagit valley, We don’t care for the river if she does go
on a spree, Let her fill her banks and gurgle, and boil, and foam, and sally,
It’s the land of milk and honey she is kissing, don’t you see?
|
Poem
Poem downplays the impacts of the flood.
|
11/22/06
SCT
|
Raging Waters
– That Came and have gone and the harm done.
Skagit
County
Suffers Little in Comparison with other sections of the State—Useless
Fears of Future.
So far as can be learned the recent
flare-up of the Skagit river and its
tributaries concentrated its damaging effects against bridges and railroads.
No loss of Human life, except that of Mr. H. Peterson at Mt. Vernon,
was caused by it. The case of Mr. Peterson was the result of a self
inflicted accident caused by coming in contact with the iron crank used in
opening and closing the draw on the county bridge at Mt. Vernon.
A blast to loosen a jam of debris in the river was about to be fired, and in
running in the darkness to a place of safety the unfortunate man collided
with the iron and injured himself internally, from which he died the day after.
. . . At Mr. Vernon, while the water over-flowed low places on the
dike, by vigilance and hard work the citizens prevented the water making
dangerous inroads. West Mt. Vernon was less fortunate and the town was
flooded to a considerable extent but without serious loss. The dikes
both above and below Mt. Vernon
broke, but the overflow is, in most cases, looked upon as a benefit rather
than an injury to the land covered. . . . The railroad bridge
between Burlington and Mt. Vernon
was put out of commission for several days by drift striking and throwing the
draw out of line. . . . The water in Big Lake,
it is said, was backed up into the basements of several houses. North
of the river the water backs in west of the railroad tracks for a considerable
distance toward town, while the water in the slough between the town and
river made things look serious for a time, and a rise of a few more inches
would have put Sedro-Woolley into the flooded district. . . . The rapid
succession of rises and overflows is the subject of much conjecture and
comparison with old time occurrences of a like nature. High water marks
of former days are contrasted with those being made, and imagination lures
the possibilities of the future. In this relation it should be remembered
that, with the obstruction made by the dense forests and under-growths of
years ago, the water which has recently ran out of the mountains and hills
would have been backed up to the highest marks made by the flood anywhere in
the past. Whatever may happen in the future it has been fairly
demonstrated that Skagit
County is not in danger
of a widely disastrous overflow. The greatest danger that threatens is
to those who might be affected by a change of the river’s course, which
even now is demonstrated to be not unlikely. The removal of timber
quite likely has something to do with climatic changes that are said to be
notable in this country. The same thing lessens resistance to any
change of base crowding water will cause the river to make. It is possible
that an extreme was reached in the last rise and that the worst that can
occur has been demonstrated and has passed. If that is true the lesson
taught should prepare everyone for any future occurrence.
|
NOVEMBER 16, 1906
FLOOD
USGS (Stewart) says 180,000 cfs at
Sedro-Woolley. No figure for Concrete.
Death of Mr. Peterson.
Log jams “blasted” off of
bridges.
Levees overtopped.
Floods and levee breaks in most cases
looked upon as a benefit rather than an injury to the land.
Levees broke above and below Mt. Vernon.
GNRR (BNSF) bridge between Mt. Vernon
and Burlington
damaged.
Big Lake
backs up.
Attributes past high water marks to dense
forest.
“Skagit County
is not in danger of a widely disastrous overflow.” Really?
Sounds like they are describing
“global warming.”
As will be demonstrated later the extreme
was not reached in the 1906 flood event as the 1909, 1917 and 1921 floods
were higher.
|
11/23/06
The
Journal
|
Refugee Notes from
East Burlington
The Skagit
river has again risen in her majesty, and outdone its previous efforts for
some years back. Everybody at Sterling south of the railroad track was
compelled to move, some not getting their household goods high enough, as the
water kept raising were obliged to move again. . . . Buzz Jewell
suffered the greatest financial loss of anyone, as the river raised so that
it covered most of his forty acres, and poured over the county roads in such
volumes as to cut a chasm thirty feet wide and fifteen feet deep, the roaring
of which could be heard half a mile away. Jeffery Grimbly
and wife moved out in season to escape being rescued by a raft this time,
“I think the women all bore in mind the instance of one lady during the
last flood, being carried out and deposited upon a raft outside the front
gate, and determined to get out while the traveling was good.” .
. . In the dwellings of Messers. Grimbly, Chappeau, and Raymont the water
came up to the door knobs. . . . The flood did no damage to Wm. Crotchett except to fill all the holes in and about his
barn yard. It poured a wide stream of water over the county road and
ran over the road into the slough. . . . The bridge over the
slough by Wm. Miller’s place is impassable, having been built on logs,
which were jarred loose lifting the bridge about three feet into space at one
end.
|
East and South Burlington Damage
Sterling damaged.
Water at least 3 feet deep in houses.
Floodwaters found their way to Gages
Slough.
|
11/26/06
TSN-H
|
What we have.
Come this way Mr. Traveler, and never be
afraid, The floods have all subsided; we no longer have to wade, Trout are in
the river we catch them at our ease, The weather’s moderated, no danger
of a freeze, The winds are blowing milder, we feel a sort of charm, And the
waters which were raging have ceased from doing harm, . . . Come out here Mr.
Eastern man and settle down with us, Land’s so poor back yonder you can
scarcely raise a fuss. But here’s the land of plenty, the land of
perfect ease, And the milk and honey’s flowing from the cows and honey
bees.
|
POEM
Another poem by Charlie Gant downplaying
the impact of floods.
|
11/26/06
TSN-H
|
Bond County For
Bridges --Taxpayers Should Vote Sufficient Bonds
County Must
Progress and Many New Bridges Are an Absolute Necessity
The News-Herald believes only in bonds when
bonds are an absolute necessity, and it would seem that at this time such is
the case. There never was a time in the history of this county when
bridges were such an absolute necessity. The county at the present is
maintaining eleven ferries at a cost of $3,036, this is for ferry tenders
alone, not speaking of the expense of the repairs. If we had three of
four new bridges the county could save $996 per year on hire alone, but this
is not the point at issue. In maintaining these ferries the county will
eventually pay out money enough to have built a steel bridge wherever needed
and will not have a thing to show for it aside from a few cables and a few
worthless old scows. . . . Ferries are dangerous, especially the
weaklings which are constructed along the Skagit
river. There has been loss of life and property on these ferries.
They are only temporary, while steel bridges properly constructed are good
for a lifetime, and once they are constructed the taxpayers feel secure,
knowing that the expense is almost at an end. At the present time the
county is paying out annually enough to pay the interest on the amount
necessary to construct these bridges, and why not do it?
|
New Bridges Needed
County needed steel bridges over the Skagit River. Editor wanted to do away
with the 11 ferries being operated at the County taxpayer expense.
|
12/3/06
TSN-H
|
Bridge Ready For
Service--Repairs Are Now In Good Order
Excellent Work on
the Part of Our County Commissioners and the Citizens of Mt. Vernon
The span in the bridge which was washed
away during the flood has been replaced by a new one and the farmers can now
cross with their teams. The new span which rests upon large new piling
is perfectly secure in every respect and will answer admirably until such
time when the county is in shape to put in a new bridge, or at least until
the next freshet.
|
Riverside Bridge Repaired
Span washed away in flood had been
replaced. Article states they did not think it would withstand another
freshet.
|
2/15/09
TSN-H
|
Ask $100,000 For
The Improvement Of The Skagit
River
U.S.
Engineers Report – Favorably on the Proposition to Improve Navigation
on Skagit River. Will Confine Water to Main
Channel
… some details of Maj. Chittenden’s
plan, recommends a modified plan to cost $100,000, through following to a
considerable extent the plan outlined by Maj. Chittenden. The chief
obstacles to navigation in the Skagit as
seen by Maj. Chittenden in his report are “the shoals at the mouth of
the stream, the bad bars or shoals which interfere with low water navigation
and the great quantity of driftwood and snags in the river.”
“Beginning with the junction of the north and the south forks in the
delta of the river, the energy of the current is greatly dissipated by
numerous channels and on the tide flats by a general dispersion of the
current in all directions.” The report favored the partial
closing of the north channel to increase the current energy in the main
channel by way of the south fork. For this work Maj. Chittenden
estimated a cost of $95,250. . . . In a previous report, April
15, 1907, he had pointed out that the total commerce on the river for 1906
reached 188,283½ tons, valued at $1,766,452. . . . As a
result of a personal examination of the Skagit river from Sedro-Woolley to
its mouth, including both north and south forks, the conclusion has been
reached that the only means of securing a reliable channel or entrance to
this river that will benefit existing commerce is by the construction of a
dike at the mouth of the south fork, following generally the line laid down
in the report of Maj. Chittenden, and by cutting off or regulating the
flow through the other channels. . . . “The estimate is
as follows: 16,000 feet of retaining dike, at $80,000; regulating dikes
and mattress sill at head of north fork, $6,000; cutting off subsidiary
channels at the delta, $5,000; superintendence and contingencies, 10
percent, $9,000, total $100,000.
|
Corps of Engineers
Plan
For Improving
Navigation
Several times this report recommends
cutting off the flow of river water through the subsidiary channels.
The work that was carried out was further described in COE Cavanaugh Report
12/6/12 & COE Woodruff Report 10/10/19 and COE Butler Report
2/8/28. What this strongly suggests is that it was not the farmers at
least on Fir Island that blocked off the estuary
flows but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Clearly this had a
tremendous impact on fish.
|
12/3/09
The
Journal
|
High Water On Skagit River Break All Past Records
Fairhaven Avenue
Flooded With a Foot and a Half of Water
River Raises
Twenty-four Feet Above Low Water Mark -- Mark—Above all Past Records
Some among the
oldest settlers of Skagit
County are found to
make the statement that never before have they seen the river rise to the
marks reached during the flood, which came during the first part of the
present week. . . . At about 10 o’clock Monday night, W.H. Joyce
who lives just east of town, gave the alarm by phone, announcing that the
water had broken over the county road east of the Jewell place and was
running down the big slough towards the east part of town which is quite
timely settled. . . . Down at the east end of Fairhaven avenue
the current was very swift and the bridge went out . . . leaving some forty
people shut out in this lowest land and in a swift current of water. .
. . Thursday was a great day in Burlington
and many talked of camping on the heights Tuesday night, but the change came
about noon, the water went down rapidly and Burlington
has perhaps received less damage then any other town on the Skagit.
. . . While the East Mt. Vernon dyke held good, a snapshot from the
auction building on the hill at Mt. Vernon shows a sea of water from Mt. Vernon
to LaConner. Much damage was done in West Mt. Vernon and the hundreds
shut in. LaConner was underwater as well as the entire flats from
LaConner to Bayview and Mt. Vernon.
|
NOVEMBER 30, 1909
FLOOD
USGS (Stewart) says flood 260,000 cfs at
Concrete, 220,000 at Sedro-Woolley.
This article is in extremely poor condition
and very hard to read. Portions are completely unreadable.
Important to remember is that during this
time period the Burlington
levees were 4,000 feet west of their current location.
Water went down rapidly. Burlington received less damage then any other town in Skagit County. Downtown
Mt. Vernon dry, everything from West Mt. Vernon
to and including LaConner to Bayview underwater.
|
12/3/09
B.J.
|
Reveille Exaggerates High Water
(Dead
in flood Skagit waters collect their toll of
human life.) The above headlines, printed in red, were the attractive
features of the front page of Wednesday morning Reveille, and is perhaps of
the most disgraceful lies that that paper ever published. Following
those headlines the reporter says that no dead have been reported. He
also says that Burlington
is buried under from five to ten feet of water. This is also
untrue. They also say that Burlington
is sadly in need of relief and mercy work. We hope that the Reveille
will be generous enough to correct these false statements. In the first
place there is no dead in the flood, so far we have not received the report
of one dead from any place along the Skagit.
Burlington
had about one foot of water in some of the streets, and there were many
buildings over the town that were not even surrounded by water. Neither
the railroad bridge south of town, or the steel bridge at Mt. Vernon
is washed away. The amount published in the Reveille on Wednesday was
simply a piece of Yellow Journalism.
|
1909 Flood
Doesn’t sound like all of Burlington was covered
in flood water in 1909 and the parts that were only had 1 foot of water in
streets. Appears 1921 flood was a larger event.
|
12/10/09
The
Journal
|
Should Build Span
On Bridge
The high grade and close trestle bridge of
the Great Northern Railroad South of town is in a great measure accountable
for the extreme high water in the town during the recent flood. A great
drift of wood and logs, at the trestle bridge across the big slough, held the
water and caused it to back up and overflow a greater part of the town.
For the safety of the town as well as for the railroad company, a long bridge
span should be built at this point so as to give the drift wood and logs a
chance to pass through. If the railroad company does not do this of
their own accord, the city authorities should force them to do so. Many
citizens had their homes flooded and were compelled to move out, all on
account of this back up water from the above mentioned trestle bridge.
This water may seem of little importance to some, but those who have had some
experience in this line think it of great importance to them. Railroads
are very necessary to our town and should always be treated courteously, but
there is no reason that they should be permitted to jeopardize the lives, and
comforts of our citizens.
|
Bridge Over Gages
Slough Caused Flooding in Burlington
This article is extremely significant
because it documents the tremendous amount of water and drift that used to
travel through Gages Slough during flood events.
|
11/24/10
SCT
|
The River –
Gives People of Valley another scare – Big Chinook Starts Things Doing
but quits with but little damage done.
There may have been a time when a Chinook
wind was not an unwelcome thing in this country, but that was a long time
before November 1909. Since then when a Chinook blows every gentleman
holds his breath. . . . Sunday afternoon the water began to rise
at the rate of about 5 inches an hour and by midnight had increased to 8
inches or more an hour. . . . Sunday night up valley train was
stopped at Concrete on account of the bridge over Jackson creek, near Van Horn, being washed
out. . . . In Sterling Bend where last year the G.N. tracks were
moved back from the river bank, and where subsequent rises have washed away
the river bonks right up to the tracks, and rock fills were made, the waters
of this rise came right up and again dallied with Jim Hill’s iron.
|
NOVEMBER 21, 1910
FLOOD
USGS reports 114,000 cfs at
Sedro-Woolley. No figure for Concrete.
This would have been a flood comparable to
the 1979 and 1980 flood events.
Article states there were 16 daily trains
in Sedro-Woolley.
|
4/5/17
SCT
|
Dam
building
does not look too good
Several years ago The Times quit building
newspaper railroads. This was after it had learned good and well that
when railroad officials got mixed up in an interview and
“divulged” a lot of plans for the future, that the statement was
either an explosion of overworked imagination, or was just the reverse of any
real intention. Hence, The Times is skeptical of the big dam story
about what Stone & Webster are going to do on Baker river this year and
immediately following. . . . Under the most favorable conditions
the building of the Baker river dam is going to cost lots of money, and just
why the Stone & Webster should begin construction work while the price of
every factor to construction is abnormally high and still ascending and
transportation precarious, is a mystery.
|
Rumors of Baker Dam
Newspaper didn’t believe Baker dam
would be built.
|
12/20/17
MVH
|
Heavy Rains Cause
A Raging Skagit
The heavy rains of the past two weeks have
caused considerable inconvenience to people living along the Skagit river. It seemed that the high point of
the raging Skagit had been reached Sunday morning when the debris dam and the
Mount Vernon bridge went out, carrying a portion of the temporary trestles
away. Part of the trestle went out on Saturday, thus putting the bridge
out of commission and causing those who wished to get to Mount
Vernon to go around by the Avon
road and come in from the north. . . . The river dropped Sunday
and Monday, but the heavy rains of Monday night brought the river up
again. Heavy rains in the hills kept the stream up to a dangerous point
and in many places the water covered the low lands. . . . The
heavy rains of Tuesday brought raging torrents of water down the old Skagit and for the first tie in nine years the danger
line was reached on Wednesday morning when a little over twenty-one feet of
water was registered. The dike broke south of town and considerable
land was flooded. However, the standstill came about noon and by
Thursday morning the water had fallen to the seventeen foot mark.
|
UNDOCUMENTED 1917
FLOOD
This flood does not show up in USGS or
Corps records probably because it was only 1 ft. over flood stage at the
current gage. HOWEVER, it is the first time that we have documented
that the infamous December 30, 1917 flood was a “double pump”
flood event. Just like the 1990, 1995 and 2003 flood events. As
we all know, the 2nd flood is always larger, and it was.
Overbank storage would have been minimal at best.
Dike broke “south of town” on
this minor event. Although subsequent articles do not mention this
levee break it is highly probable that the levee was not repaired in just 10
days.
|
1/3/18
MVH
|
Skagit
River
Throws Mantle Of Flood Waters Over Ranches And Homes
The dear old Skagit Valley,
the one green spot in the northwest, has been given a drenching which wrought
much damage and caused considerable inconvenience to all persons, ranchers
and townspeople alike. An almost unprecedented rainfall and a Chinook
wind starting last Friday in the upper part of the county caused the old
timers to open their weather eyes and soon the alarm was given that a
“big river” was expected. The river began raising last
Saturday morning and continued to raise all day. Saturday night the stream
was nearing the danger point. Dikes in all parts of the valley were
being taxed to their capacity and in many places efforts were being made to
strengthen them. . . . LaConner received a full blow of the
rushing waters, but aside from the loss of the bridge, some bad washouts, the
little town stood up under the blow very strongly. Mount Vernon’s business section and
residence section was spared. . . . The Great Northern and the
Interurban roads are badly hit. For miles and miles, both north and
south, the Great Northern tracks are hanging here and there like a great
trestle. In some places the road bed is washed out to a depth of six
and seven feet. The interurban tracks are badly damaged and it is not
believed that traffic will be resumed between Mount
Vernon and Bellingham
for a least a month. . . .
The first intimation of danger was when
advices up river were received to the effect that the water was higher on
Saturday morning than it had been during the flood of 1909 and people began
to prepare for a wet season. By midnight it had reached the high point at the
hospital and was still rising. A small dike was thrown across the
street with the hope of holding it, but under the strenuous protest of the
property owners who would be submerged at the expense of the north end of the
town the idea of keeping it back was abandoned and it was allowed to run down
the main street to the Great Northern railway tracks where a breach was made
and the waters allowed to spill out over the Olympia Marsh. . . .
The loss in stock also promises to be comparatively light for the reason that
the valley is so flat that a sudden rise sufficient to endanger life is
almost impossible. . . . The Howard Fredman
place has suffered the most severely of any in the immediate neighborhood of
the big break. Here the river ran mad, undermining the house and barns
and plowing deep channels through the fields. Deep holes are to be seen
everywhere and across the Varney road where once were stumps there are now
excavations that look like cellars. The little station at Varney has
been undermined and leans over on its sides in a decidedly disreputable
manner. The damage in the Interurban lines at this point will take
weeks in repair. . . .
Sedro-Woolley has not suffered very
severely except in the vicinity of the water plant. At Sterling the damage will
be considerable from the cutting up of the farms and the J.H. Hutchins place
is said to be pretty badly wrecked. Dr. Cleveland’s new home on
which he has spent so much time and money is also much the worse for its
experience as well as those of many others.
|
DECEMBER 30, 1917
FLOOD
USGS (Stewart) reports that flood carried
220,000 cfs at Concrete and 195,000 cfs at Sedro-Woolley.
This is the most comprehensive article
describing the impacts of a large flood on Skagit Valley.
LaConner floods, Mt. Vernon
stays dry.
Railroads badly damaged.
If the water was higher upriver then in
1909 it means 1917 was larger flood.
Water diverted to Olympia Marsh would
explain why flood water did not reach downtown Burlington business district. See BJ
1/4/18 article describing this flood.
“a sudden rise sufficient to endanger
life is almost impossible.” This statement, given the tremendous
development in South Burlington since 1917,
would undoubtedly be false today.
Varney is what they used to call Gages
Slough. The train station used to be across the street from the Cascade
Mall.
Sedro-Woolley little damage. Sterling
hard hit.
|
1/3/18
MVH
|
Clear Lake
At 1:30 the water started to come in the
west part of town, and the people living in that part received the greater
part of the water. The water entered the mill and also the engine room
where the electric dynamo is and rose so high that the mills and town was put
out of order and the town was submerged in darkness until Wednesday
evening. The greatest damage done by the water in town was the washing
away of sidewalks and fences. The flood was rather mild here compared
to what it would have been had not the Sterling Bend dike broke.
Although the citizens of Clear Lake sympathize with those of Burlington and vicinity they are thankful
that it was not worse here.
|
This article unequivocally shows the
impacts the levees have had on the Clear
Lake area. 1917
was one of if not the most damaging flood in the 20th century, yet
Clear Lake suffered only “mild” damage unlike what they suffered
in the 1990 and 1995 flood events.
|
1/3/18
MVH
|
Boat upsets boy
drowns
Little John Gruber of Clear Lake, lost his
life in the flood waters of the Skagit Wednesday evening when, in company
with his brother, Joe Gruber, they attempted to make their way over the
waters to the ranch. The accident happened about 6 o’clock in the
evening. Little John had come down from Clear Lake and had waited near
the Clear Lake yards, close to the broken dike for his brother, who was coming
in a boat from the Loveless place, where he lives with his family.
|
Death in 1917 Flood
Not counting the Mt.
Vernon bridge tender who died from
internal injuries after hitting a portion of the bridge, this makes 3 people
who have been identified that died in Skagit River
flood events.
|
1/4/18
Argus
|
River Becomes Unmanageable
Dikes Break in a Number of Places and Let
Water in Over a Large Area of Low Lands – Some Stock Is Lost;
Damage Much Less Than Anticipated;
Water Reaches High Mark at Mount Vernon
Wharf Saturday Night at Twenty-three and One-half Feet – No Rail
Communication With Outside World for Several Days – Boat Does Big
Business
Four weeks of rains and Chinooks finally
resulted in a freshet Saturday night that for a time threatened to inundate
the entire valley. The warm winds from the south melted the snows, it
is said, up to the 6000-foot level and brought the combined waters of the
Upper Skagit, the Sauk, Baker and numerous tributary streams down to the
lower valley in greater and more continuous volume than has ever been
recorded in the history of the country.
. . .
Loss Not Great As Expected
The heaviest individual losers are those
individuals that were in the path of the dike breaks. The break at
Sterling Bend and that at Stevens slough immediately north of the Great
Northern bridge wrought the greatest damage. At Stevens slough a home
belonging to M. Freeman was tilted over into a hole. Dikes, county
roads and railroads probably suffered the most from the recent freshet.
. . .
At Avon
there was a sudden dramatic moment Sunday morning when a portion of the dike
went out carrying into the swirl six men who were at work with dozens of
others reinforcing the dike at this point. Hadn’t been for an old
secondary dike the Skagit would have gone
through here and every foot of the flats would have been under water. .
. . A break at Magnus Anderson’s farm let the water in over a section
of country about Conway.
. . . Burlington and La Conner and Edison reported water in the streets; Sedro-Woolley
reported water in the neighborhood of Jamison avenue, which is some distance
from the business section. The Nookachamps low lands also were visited
by the water. Mount Vernon,
on both sides of the river, was dry throughout the freshet. The water
from Sterling bend went over the Olympia
marsh and the Samish. Edison also
reported a couple of feet of water.
|
DECEMBER 1917 FLOOD
This article describes the December 28/29,
1917 flood event.
Four weeks of rains. No wonder flood
was flood of “long duration”. Overbank storage must have
been non-existent.
Snow level only went up to
6,000-feet??? Flood definitely would have been caused by rain alone.
Dike Breaks
Sterling, Stevens Slough,
Avon, Conway.
Burlington, LaConner, and Edison
underwater. Mt.
Vernon stayed dry.
Was water in Edison from Samish or Skagit??
|
1/4/18
Argus
|
Str. Swinomish
Sinks in Riverside Bend
The snag boat Swinomish sank in the Skagit river in the bend below the Interurban bridge
Friday after grazing the bridge pier. Captain Fred Siegel said that in
passing through the draw the boat touched the pier slightly. The men on
the main deck reported no damage; but in a few minutes it was noticed that
the boat was taking water. The pumps were immediately put to work but
to no avail and the boat hit bottom with the upper works well out of water.
|
Friday would have been December 28, 1917
the day before the river crest. “The upper works well out of
water.” How big was this boat? Could be used to determine
how deep river was. Doesn’t sound like river was any deeper then
than now.
|
1/4/18
B.J.
|
mid-winter flood
greatest in memory of oldest inhabitant
Valley Dikes Break in Dozen Places –
Skagit Inundates lowlands – No Lives Lost – Only Few Head of
Stock Drowned – Considerable Property Damaged – River Channel and
Dikes Inadequate to Carry Away Surplus Water – Spillways Needed to
Relieve River Channel During Flood Periods – Railroad and Interurban Communications
Restored from North – Delayed Mails Received Today
One of the worst and doubtless most
destructive floods known in the Skagit delta occurred last Saturday night
(December 29, 1917), the river dikes giving way in eight or more places, the
overflowing water covering the entire delta from Mt.
Vernon to LaConner, and south from Mt. Vernon
to Conway.
The island delta west of Fir escaping flood waters (Fir Island).
The McLean highway district west of Mt. Vernon
was not flooded.
The tragical
results were caused by the failure of a crude, imperfect, ununiform
diking system that never has nor never will retain the torrents of water when
a Chinook zephyr loosens the flood gates of the Cascades. From five
o’clock Saturday night, when the river was bank full, it steadily rose
a foot an hour until midnight. The water then had reached the top
practically of all the dikes, and a break was inevitable somewhere or the
mighty volume of water was certain to pour over the dikes, causing doubtless
even greater damage in loss of property and loss of life than resulted
through breaks in the dikes. At about midnight the expected break in
the dike came. In fact there were at least ten serious washouts.
Four occurred in the Riverside bend, three across the river in the Avon district,
at North Riverside, one at Freeman’s old place on the Baker River
logging railway right-of-way, southeast of Burlington,
one south of Mt. Vernon, and another at the Clear
Lake wood yards, north of Mt. Vernon.
These artificial spillways naturally afforded an immediate outlet for the
surplus water to pour through, and the river immediately began to fall, and
all danger from further flood damages was past.
Building a series of ununiform
dikes to protect districts here and there through the lowlands utterly fails
as a solution, meaning only future disaster when the river runs riot during
flood periods. During flood periods when the river reaches the point
that dikes are not adequate to control it, it overflows its banks unless
other artificial means are provided to carry off the surplus water.
Government engineers, who have studied Skagit
river flood problems with the view of affording relief to districts subject
to overflow, declare that concrete spillways should be built to take care of
the surplus water. Improvements of this character should be maintained
by the government, state and county.
Because Mt.
Vernon’s big dikes kept it
dry, or Burlington
is so fortunately situated that it does not require a system of dikes to
protect it from floods is mighty poor consolation to the people of the delta
districts threatened with overflow and devastation every recurring flood,. .
.
|
December 29, 1917
Flood Event
Fir Island didn’t flood in the 1917
flood?
Diking system not uniform.
Ten dike breaks after midnight.
Dikes should be uniform and have spillways
built into them. (Overtopping Levees)
Burlington doesn’t need
dikes? Probably because at that time Burlington city limits was at least 1 mile
north of Gages Slough. Did Mt. Vernon
raise its dikes after 1909 flood?
|
1/4/18
B.J.
|
Flood Notes
The Howard Freeman farm at Varney station was quite seriously damaged by the
overflow caused by the break in the river dike on the old Freeman farm east
of Varney. Mr. Freeman’s fine new home and barn were damaged in
some-extent. The break in the river at the old Freeman farm, which was
probably 800 feet in width, caused serious damage to the farms in the path of
the overflow. The break occurred when the river was at the highest
point, the water stretched over a territory of about 2500 feet in width,
carrying away the Great Northern and interurban highways, undermining the
dwelling and carrying away the barn on the old Freeman farm, and covering the
land with piles of drift wood. The water found an outlet in the bay
near Whitney.
During the height of the flood Sunday morning a foot of water from the
overflow of the river from the east covered a small portion of the residence
and business districts of Burlington,
the water flowing out that night when the river fell. On account of
poor drainage and inadequate sewerage, there is still some water in the low
places in some of the districts, which will soon all pass into the drains.
The loss of property on the Higginbottom farm south
of Burlington
(the old Freman place) was serious. When the
dike broke the house was undermined, the barn and sheds carried away, and the
land covered with large-quantities of logs. The owner had only one cow
which was saved.
The Mussor, Wakley and Lamphier farms were all in the path of the Higginbottom break and the owners were serious losers.
The Mt. Vernon Herald says the breaking of the dike at Higginbottom’s
saved Burlington.
What an idiotic untruth. Why not Mt. Vernon?
Burlington is
protected by no diking system. It is so fortunately situated that it does
not need dikes to protect it from river overflow. The truth is, and why
not be honest, that the diking system maintained on the Skagit river was
inadequate to control the Skagit river, a
break somewhere was inevitable, and shortly after midnight it came down at a
dozen different places. Undoubtedly these breaks saved the dikes from
giving away at other places. The water had reached the top of
practically every dike in Skagit county when
the breaks occurred. Flood damages were generally distributed throughout
the lowlands. Unfortunately neither the districts directly to Mt. Vernon,
Burlington nor any other Skagit County
town escaped inconvenience or losses. Burlington had mail, daily newspapers,
telegraph and telephone communications from the north and telephone
communications from the south at all times. The editor of the Mt.
Vernon Herald should confine himself to fact and truth. Why not give
his readers the interesting story of the need of a gasoline engine to pump
water out of the basement of the county courthouse. At least this is
better than lying about a neighboring town.
|
Varney Station was located next to Gages
Slough on Old 99 (Burlington
Blvd.)
Eastern Fairhaven covered with one
foot of water. Water gone that night.
Must locate where Higginbottom
farm was.
Burlington has no diking
system! They must mean Burlington
proper. Dike on Fairhaven
must have been outside city limits.
Water reached the top of the dikes.
Burlington “is so
fortunately situated that it does not need dikes to protect it from river
overflow.” Really? While this statement is clearly not
appropriate today it is strongly suggestive that flood waters from the 1909
and 1917 floods did not reach downtown Burlington west of the BNSF railroad
tracks.
Doesn’t look like Burlington Journal
editor and Mt. Vernon Herald liked each other.
|
1/10/18
MVH
|
Flood waters are
receding
The flood waters of the Skagit valley are
gradually receding and in a short time, the rancher will be able to walk upon
that which he calls ground and view the results of a vicious Skagit river.
Individuals are now counting up their losses. Estimates of the
aggregate loss to farmers, householders, the county and state in roads and
bridges, and to the public service corporations are largely guesswork.
The real loss will never be computed. It is large, probably larger than
that caused by the freshet of eight years ago. . . . Reports from
all points of the valley show that more or less water and damage was the
result of the freshet. Roads everywhere are in bad shape and will
require a good deal of money to put them all back in a passable
condition. The county is badly hit and the commissioners in session
this week decided to review the county roads and put them in shape at the
earliest possible date.
|
Flood damages more than 1909 flood.
Again, this strongly suggest that the 1917 flood was the larger then the flood
of 1909.
|
1/10/18
MVH
|
Are the dikes a
failure?
Are the dikes a failure? If so, what
is the remedy? These two questions have agitated the minds of hundreds
of ranchers in the Skagit Valley during the past week since the old Skagit river ran amuck again. In the end, when
the enormous flood waters of the river come down upon the community, dikes
are found to be weak, and the result is as shown by the flood of last week.
What is the remedy? Much money has been spent in making dikes and in
the end, practically nothing has been gained. . . . The remedy
is believed to be found in the construction of spillways. Several
plans and suggestions have been made during the week, but this matter, being
of such enormous proportions, will require more than talk to get something
started. . . . It has been nine years since a flood came.
It may be nine years again and it may be next year. Don’t wait until
it comes again. There is too much valuable land in this valley to wait
until a disastrous flood has overtaken it again and again. Now is the
time to plan the remedy.
|
Recommended “spillways” or
over-topping levees.
“Now is the time to plan the
remedy.”
|
6/13/18
CT
|
River Floods Roads and Farms; Latest Reports
Receding
The warm wind last Sunday filled the river
with melted snow from the mountains and caused it to overflow its banks in
several places. The road between Sedro-Woolley and Hamilton was under water in several places,
many autos getting stuck when trying to ford. The river was so high
that the Lyman and Skiyou ferries have not been running for several
days. A number of farms near Hamilton
were flooded, and the creek along the road is bank-high and washing away its
banks. It is thought that the main channel has been somewhat filled,
and that unless something is done the creek will continue to carry more
water. The water was not high enough to damage crops.
|
UNDOCUMENTED FLOOD
First documentation of a summer
flood. Based on the damage reported it appears to be in the
neighborhood of the January 12, 1928 flood.
|
1/17/20
C.H.
|
|
Agricultural
History
Berry growing finds its roots in Skagit County.
|
1/17/20
C.H.
|
fish hatchery at baker lake
stops work for winter
Foreman Joe Kemmerick
of the Baker Lake fish hatchery came into
town Thursday with the news that work at the hatchery had been stopped for
the winter and all extra men laid off.
Only enough men will be retained at the fisheries station to look
after the eggs in the hatchery building and care for to property at the lake.
… These men will keep
things moving until the weather moderates in the spring, when the full crew
will again be put to work running the station and rebuilding the plant
destroyed by fire last summer.
During the severe cold last month Baker Lake
was frozen over and work at the sawmill stopped because logs could not be
towed across the lake to operate the mill. … The men now at the hatchery will have
a considerable job on their hands in about a month, when about two and a half
million eggs now being eyed at the lake will have to be carried out and
shipped to the Birdsview hatchery, where they will be hatched. These will have to be packed out on
horses, with the trail at its worst.
… It will require
about eight trips with the pack train to carry out all the eggs to be sent to
Birdsview.
|
Fish Issue
Fish hatchery on Baker Lake.
Began construction in 1898.
Was operated by the federal government. Carried out the sockeye and steelhead
fry by horseback.
|
3/20/20
C.H.
|
seattle
to build state hatchery on upper
river
C.F. Uhden, engineer in charge of the Seattle
power project on the upper Skagit, has notified the state fish commissioner
that the city will construct a state fish hatchery on the Skagit. The city is required to build fishways
over all its power dams to permit salmon to reach spawning grounds or build a
hatchery. As there will be five
large power dams in the completed unity the city has decided to build the
hatchery. … It is believed that a site near the first dam will be
selected. The hatchery will cost
between $10,000 and $15,000, and will be the thirty-ninth in the state, which
gives this state the largest number of any state in the United States.
|
Fish Issue
Seattle City
Light was supposed to build a state ran fish hatchery on the Upper Skagit.
This is further
evidence which strongly suggest that the fish made it past Newhalem. 38 fish hatchery’s existed in
the State of Washington
in 1920.
|
5/1/20
C.H.
|
|
Flood Control
– Dredging
Needed bond to
protect government from damages due to flood control work. No evidence the work was ever done.
No money spent on
flood control for “several years”.
|
5/6/20
Argus
|
will improve river
at once
Commercial Club Hears Officially of
Government’s $30,000 Appropriation for Work
. . . $30,000 was available for the
improvement of the lower Skagit river.
This appropriation was made by congress last year. According to a
letter received by John Kill, chairman of the club’s river committee
from Congressmen Lin H. Hadley, the federal engineers have approved the
work. . . . The work to be taken up under the appropriation calls
for the dredging of the Skagit channel from the mouth up the Skagit channel
from the mouth up at least as far as Mount Vernon and the building of
retaining walls where needed.
|
Corps waiting on release from damages from
lower valley farmers.
Approved dredging river from mouth to Mt. Vernon.
Cost was $45,000 to $60,000.
|
5/15/20
C.H.
|
|
Dam Building Proposed
Dams at the Faber
site and the Cascade
River being looked at.
|
5/15/20
C.H.
|
|
Dam Building Proposed
Dams at the Faber
site and the Cascade
River being looked at.
|
5/22/20
C.H.
|
new camp at faber
is ready to begin shipping out logs
The new logging camp at Faber, recently
opened by the Faber Logging Company, with Robt. Nestos of this city as manager has practically completed
all preliminary work and everything is now lined up to begin shopping logs
within the next few days.
… The biggest job to
be done, before logging could be started was the building of a railroad track
three quarters of a mile in length from Faber spur to the timber. … The main camp near Faber station is
becoming quite a settlement, the camp buildings are still of a temporary
character, but these will all be replaced by substantial frame structures
before winter.
|
Logging History
It would be
interesting to try and find this logging camp today.
|
6/5/20
C.H.
|
mayor of seattle
makes first visit to skagit project
Mayor Hugh M. Caldwell of Seattle
passed through here Thursday on his way to the upper Skagit
Valley for his first visit to the
site of the city of Seattle’s
hydro-electric power plant on the upper river. … He was accompanied by A.H. Dimock, city engineer; C.F. Uhden,
special engineer in charge of the project, and J.D. Ross, superintendent of
the Seattle
light department. The inspection
trip will include not only the work already done on the initial development
at Gorge Creek, for which an appropriation of $5,500,000 has been made by the
Seattle City council, but also the proposed development at Ruby Creek, said
by engineers to be the key to the entire project, if the water power
resources of the upper Skagit are to be utilized to the limit of their
possibilities. A survey of the
Ruby Creek section is soon to be made to determine the feasibility of the
proposed construction and its probable cost. Estimates on tentative plans give the
approximate cost of the completed project as $55,000,000.
|
Gorge Dam
Mayor of Seattle looked at Gorge
Dam construction and proposed site of Ross Dam.
|
6/12/20
C.H.
|
seattle mayor is pleased by visit to skagit project
The mayor expressed himself as greatly
impressed with the magnitude of the Skagit project and the wonderful
possibilities for greater development, particularly mentioning the splendid
sites for power dams at Diablo
Canyon and Ruby Creek,
where natural conditions apparently make it possible to construct great dams
on foundations of solid rock in narrow gorges. He stated that one of the questions under
consideration by the engineers has to do with the type of dam to be
constructed at Gorge Creek. It
has been found possible to construct a low diversion dam at Gorge Creek and a
high impounding dam a half mile farther down the stream. The diversion dam would be less
expensive, but the impounding dam would develop greater power. So far the only actual construction
work has been done at Gorge Creek, where a sawmill has been erected and
material is being assembled for the erection of the plant. Test borings are also being made at
the Diablo and Ruby sites.
|
Diablo and Ross Dam
Ruby Creek Dam
was later named Ross Dam.
Only “test
borings” had been done at Diablo and Ross.
|
6/12/20
C.H.
|
big cannery plant at burlington is ready to operate
The first unit of Burlington’s $50,000 modern canning
plant is practically completed and ready for the opening of the canning
season. The main building was
completed some time ago, and the finishing touches are now being put on the
brick structure to be used as an engine and boiler room. The interior woodwork has been painted
during the past week, and all the machinery for the plant is on the ground
and is being rapidly installed.
The plant is modern in every respect, and is so built that it can be
conveniently enlarged as its business increases. The company backing the plant has
contracted sufficient acreage of fruit and vegetables to practically assure
steady operation throughout the season. … New canning plants are also
being constructed in Sedro-Woolley and Mount
Vernon, and it is expected that both will be
completed in time for operation during the 1920 season. The canning plants of the lower valley
will undoubtedly prove a large factor towards stimulating the fruit and berry
growing industry in this county, as they assure a steady and sure market for
prospective growers.
|
Agricultural
History
New cannery in Burlington to process
fruits and vegetables.
Canneries also
planned for Mt.
Vernon and
Sedro-Woolley.
|
6/26/20
C.H.
|
tide land acreage near anacortes to be reclaimed
To change twelve thousand acres of
overflowed tide lands into tillable farms is the aim of a number of Anacortes
business men who recently formed a company known as the Padilla Bay
Development company. This company has purchased from the state of Washington
about 12,000 acres of tidelands in the Padilla bay district, near Anacortes,
the lands lying between Samish and the mouth of the Swinomish slough, and
including Saddlebag and Hat islands. The diking and draining of this tract
will be one of the biggest reclamation projects ever undertaken in this part
of the state, but the plan is said to be simple and entirely feasible.
Surveys and plans are now being made, and the reclamation dikes will be under
construct within a few weeks.
When the reclamation work is completed the company expects to subdivide
the tract into small farms, which will be sold to actual settlers.
|
Padilla Bay Development
Tidelands to be
developed into small farms.
|
10/9/20
C.H.
|
record rainfall does great damage in county
The heavy rains which have been almost
continuous from September 10 until Thursday this week have broken all
rainfall records for the county for this season of the year, and have caused
great damage to crops in Skagit and Whatcom counties. It is estimated that the damage to
oats, potatoes and late fruits in the two counties will exceed half a million
dollars. … The Skagit
River has been at
almost flood stage for several weeks, but no direct damage from the high
water has been reported. Near Mount
Vernon some of the dikes were threatened for a few
days the first of the week when several small breaks occurred, but the dikes
were repaired before any damage was done.
|
Rain For Almost 30
Days.
Fails to produce
large flood although Skagit stayed just
below flood stage for several weeks.
|
11/20/20
C.H.
|
work is rushed on temporary plant on upper skagit
The city of Seattle
voted Monday to appropriate an additional $175,000 for the hydro-electric
power project on the upper Skagit
River, and it is stated
that the major part of the appropriation will be used for the completion of
the temporary power plant which is now being built near the mouth of Newhalem
creek. With the completion of the
temporary electric plant, all the preliminary work will be about, completed,
and everything will be ready to being actual construct work on the main
project, and it is expected the work on the huge dam will be started by early
summer. Although it takes considerable
time to make much of a showing on a project of the magnitude of that
undertaken on the upper Skagit, the progress made so far is very
satisfactory, and it is likely that by this time next year the big dams and
the main power plant will be well underway. But even at the present rate of
progress it will be several years before the first unit is ready for use.
|
Gorge Dam
Temporary power
plant at Newhalem. Diablo and
Ross not yet under construction.
|
2/3/21
CT
|
I.
pacific highway
is said to be flooded
High water has broken the dike at Milltown
and flooded the Pacific highway so that for some days automobiles have been
unable to pass at high tide. At other times a Ford helps to pull the cars
through. . . . The new Nookachamps bridge on the inland highway
will be completed in about ten days and the new approach on the south side of
the Riverside bridge will be complete in
about two weeks, according to County Engineer Frank Gilkey.
The traffic, at present is going to Mt.
Vernon by way of Clear Lake,
while this bridge is closed.
|
UNDOCUMENTED FLOOD
Highwater broke the dike at Milltown and
cars unable to use road at high tide. This is the only article
describing this event. Not listed on USGS or Corps flood list.
Bridge over Nookachamps just about done.
|
4/2/21
C.H.
|
contract let for track extension by city of seattle
The board of public works of the city of Seattle last week
awarded the contract for the construction of a railroad track from the
Newhalem camp, on the old Dohne homestead, to the
Gorge creek dam site, a distance of 2.65 miles, to the Grant Smith Company on
its bid of $94,923.25.
… With the
transportation line about completed, the board of public works took the first
steps towards furnishing the rolling stock needed to operate the city’s
railway system.
|
Railroad
Construction
Newhalem to Gorge
Creek dam site.
|
4/2/21
C.H.
|
skagit bay diking project shown up by state engineer
The Skagit
Bay diking project, which has been
extensively advertised, and under which it was proposed to reclaim 9,300
acres of land at Skagit Bay near the mouth of the Skagit River,
was inspected recently by E. M. Chandler, chief engineer of the Washington
State Reclamation service and Prof. S. J. Sievers
of the Washington State College. These men made a personal survey of the
entire district, and in a report, filed with the state board say that, the
plan is impracticable and infeasible. It is shown that the location of the
lands and the character of the tides would require exceptionally high and
strong dikes, and that the cost would be more than $260 per acre for diking,
with the engineers believing that in several parts of the district successful
diking would be impossible. Owing to the character of the land, expensive
pumping plants would be needed to keep off seepage, and this expense would
add much to the cost per acre.
|
Padilla Bay Development
Kyboshed
Plan to
“recover” 9,300 acres of tidelands called impracticable and
infeasible.
Successful diking
of the Bay called “impossible”.
|
4/30/21
C.H.
|
anacortes has a
reminder of the johnstown
flood
A little trickle at first, a runlet, a
break, a roaring torrent, and then a wall of water rolled down from Cranberry
lake to the Sound, when a portion of the dam gave way and a million tons of
water swept down the half mile from the dam to tidewater, carrying dirt,
gravel, boulders and logs with it, cutting great gashes in the hillside,
destroying roads and burying the railway tracks and foreshore beneath
thousands of tons of debris. The break began early Monday evening, and at 8
o’clock 500 yards of Oakes
avenue, Anacortes, below the lake was under a
deep flood - a veritable Niagara was falling
with terrific force and noise down the final drop of a hundred feet over the
bluff to the beach below. One home, almost in the path of the flood, was
abandoned, the owner with his life and baby taking to the sea in a skiff,
Watchmen in the fisheries plants were imprisoned in the buildings; others
attempted to keep the water out of their homes. In a few hours the flood
crest had passed, but still thousands of tons of water was tumbling down the
heights as the lake emptied itself, and it was not until Tuesday morning that
stock could be taken of the damage.
… Cranberry lake was
originally a pond of a few acres in extent and many years ago furnished much
of the water supply for Anacortes, when a small wooden dam was built across
the outlet. Later this dam was made higher, but it was not until about 20
years ago that any serious attempt was made to utilize the waters of the
pond, and for emergency purposes only, and on but few occasions was the water
ever turned into the city system. This was usually in big salmon years when
the canneries were using millions of gallons of water monthly right in the
dry season.
|
Anacortes Flood
Cranberry Lake dam fails and floods Oakes
Avenue.
Cranberry Lake furnished water supply to City of Anacortes around turn of
the 20th century.
|
6/25/21
C.H.
|
seattle officials inspect work at skagit power site
A party of Seattle
city officials passed through this city Tuesday on their way to the site of
the city of Seattle’s power project on
the upper Skagit
River. … The Seattle power project has been under fire
in that city for several weeks, claims being made that all plans so far are
indefinite and that the plant will cost more than it will be worth to the
city. An organized effort is being made to get the council to drop the
project entirely, or at least suspend operations until conditions are more
favorable for construction work. There also appears to be a wide difference of
opinion as to the character of dam to be built, and in regard to the size of
the first unit. The city has already spent approximately $5,000,000 in
building a railroad from Rockport to the site of the project at this stage
would result in the total loss of practically all the money already spent, it
is not likely that work will be discontinued.
|
City of Seattle Having Doubts
About Dam Projects
Alleged that
power projects would cost more then they would be worth. Imagine how different our states
history would have been if those “doubts” would have prevailed.
|
6/25/21
C.H.
|
drainage project in lower valley
is biggest in county
After being four years in process of
formation, the biggest drainage projects ever planned in the Skagit County, and one of the biggest on the
Pacific coast is now rapidly taking shape, and the first hearing on the
project will be held before the board of the county commissioners early in
July. More than 15,000 acres of rich farm land are included in the area to be
drained, and the work of constructing the main and lateral ditches, building
dams and out flow gates, with the necessary machinery, will require and
expenditure of more than $750,000.
… The main ditch
will start west of Burlington, near the hill
on the Knutzen farm, and run southerly through the lands of the Conner Land
company to North Avon. From there it runs
westerly through the low lands near Fredonia and on to empty into the slough
at Whitney. When completed thousands of acres of what is now practically
waste land will be reclaimed and made highly productive. It is estimated that
it will take several years to finish the work.
|
Drainage Project
This project is
still visible and the argument could certainly be made that it enabled
“thousands of acres of wasteland” to become highly productive
farmland.
|
8/6/21
C.H.
|
county
may take steps to protect baker river banks
At the regular
meeting of the board of county commissioners held in Mount Vernon this week a
petition was presented signed by a large number of residents of this city and
vicinity, asking that the county take steps to protect the banks of the Baker
river adjacent to this city to prevent the washing away of valuable land. It
was shown to the commissioners that large areas of land had been washed away
on both banks of the river within the past few years, and that along the west
bank the loss has already been extremely heavy, and that there is danger of
another heavy cut whenever a freshet occurs. … The plan generally proposed for the
protection of the west bank calls for the construction of a wing dam just
below the shingle bolt pocket of the Baker River Lumber company, of
sufficient length to turn the current of the river back into the old channel.
The river now makes a sharp turn to the west just below the pocket and it is
believed that a wing dam of sufficient power to turn the stream back can be
built at comparatively small cost. The opening of the old channel of the
river will also relieve the east bank of the stream and it is believed that
the wing dam on the west bank will also stop all cutting along the east side.
|
Baker River Bank
Protection
Large areas of
land washed away on both the right and left banks of the Baker River.
This article
strongly suggest that the “mouth” of the Baker might have been
relocated to its present location from where it was in 1921.
|
8/18/21
CT
|
big meeting to be held to plan drainage district
– land owners to discuss draining problems – thousands of acres
to be drained, if plans are carried out; to meet at commercial club
. . . The Sedro-Woolley Commercial
club extends an invitation to all people interested in this drainage scheme
to attend the meeting which will be held at the club rooms on Metcalf street.
At this meeting the boundaries if the drainage district will be decided. The
district, it is planned, will embrace all of the territory from Minkler creek
to Austin, and from the Skagit
river to the foot of the hill on the north. . . .
|
Drainage District
Planned
Minkler Creek to Austin
and from Skagit
River to foot of Dukes
Hill.
|
8/20/21
C.H.
|
temporary
plant on upper skagit is now completed
According to a
statement issued by C. F. Uhden, engineer in charge
of the construction of the power plant for the city of Seattle on the upper
Skagit, the temporary plant was built on Newhalem creek, several miles below
the main plant, and is now being used to light the houses and streets of
Newhalem, the new town in the upper valley. Later it will be used to furnish
power and lighting for the construction of the huge dam at Gorge creek and
the first unit of the plant two miles below the dam site, as well as for the
11,000 foot tunnel connecting these two parts of the development. … The work of building the extension of
the railroad from Newhalem to Gorge creek, a distance of four miles, is going
ahead rapidly, and the first two miles of the extension is now about
completed. The end of the road is now at Devil’s Elbow, where a bridge
will be built across the Skagit
River; work on the
bridge being now well underway.
|
Newhalem Gets
Electricity
Temporary power
plant completed.
It is believed
that the “Devils Elbow” reference actually referred to the
“Devils Bend” area as no bridge was built at Devils Elbow until
the 1950’s. Devils Bend
being located Near Newhalem and Devils Elbow being located at Concrete.
|
12/15/21
MVH
|
Skagit River
Causes Flood
Skagit valley has been in
the grip of a flood for the past week. Torrential rains and strong
southerly winds, amounting to gales at times, preceded the onrush of waters
from the melting snow of the Cascade mountains, that came pouring down the
Skagit river in a volume that almost equaled that of the memorable flood of
1909, when the river rose to 26 feet 4 inches, just 1½ inches higher
than the present flood measured. . . . The first break occurred
at McKay’s place, Burlington.
The low lying land was soon covered with water. On Tuesday morning the
scene north of the city was one broad expanse of water, with dwelling houses,
barns, hay stacks, fences and trees standing in it. From 3 to 6 feet of
water was recorded in this section of the flood area, the lower floors of the
houses being flooded, and the inhabitants taking to the second story.
The flood waters reached as far west as Avon.
At the North Fork near Conway
the next break was reported. This break caused the flooding of Conway,
Milltown, Stanwood and the Skagit
delta. The whole region from Mount
Vernon to Sylvana is all
under flood waters. The highway both north and south of the city is
impassable for anything but boats. . . . A number of houses
between here and Burlington
were reported to have been lifted from their foundations and otherwise
damaged by the flood. The most serious reported damage was to
the home of Lee Davis whose home floated off its foundation and broke in
two. . . . The Great Northern railway has been out of service
since Monday evening, but the company expects to have trains running again in
a day or so. . . . The Interurban weathered the storm and flood
pretty well. While regular service was interrupted, they managed to get
one or more cars through every day. By today (Thursday) they expect to
be running all trains on time table schedule, and have stages to Everett running Friday.
Travel was interrupted by the washing out of a bridge just out of the city
limits and damage to the bridge over Varney slough. . . . The
dikes held fine and had not the water risen to such a high point, there would have been little or
no damage. Below town, the dikes were patrolled by hundreds of men and
it was only after the water had risen to an overflow, that the men deserted
their posts and hastened to notify their neighbors that the water was
coming. Burlington was the first place
to get wet, a break in the dike causing the water to invade the “Hub City.”
An heroic effort was made to prevent the break. . . . While the
losses are many, yet they are mostly small. The main losses are where
lands were cut into, stored products damaged, and some losses of
livestock. It is believed, however, that the total losses will
aggregate around $50,000, which with the lumber company losses, will
approximate a hundred thousand or maybe more for this section of Skagit county.
|
DECEMBER 12, 1921
FLOOD
USGS (Stewart) 240,000 cfs Concrete,
210,000 cfs Sedro-Woolley.
At Mt.
Vernon 1½ inches lower
than 1909. 26.4 feet would be 34.4 feet at current gage. 3 feet
lower than 1990 and 1995.
1st break in levees at Burlington but floodwaters only reached as far west as Avon.
Bridge over Gages Slough washed out.
Again showing tremendous amounts of water that flow in this area.
Losses expected to only be around $100,000.
|
12/15/21
Argus
|
Skagit
River Floods
Valley
When Dikes Go--Much Damage To Farms And Some Stock Lost-- Dikes
Gave Way Early Tuesday At 24 Ft 10 Inches
Once more
after 4 years of somewhat peaceful action the Skagit River late Monday night
and early Tuesday morning, broke its bounds and inundated a large part of its
fertile valley, with a heavy loss to the farmers, an estimate of which is
impossible at this time. No fatalities have been reported but some very narrow
escapes from the flood waters occurred. . . .
Three days of heavy rains and warm rains
beginning their work Friday, melted the snows in the upper Skagit region and
as a result, the Skagit
River began its rise
with startling rapidity, reaching a point Sunday night which caused alarm to
be spread over the valley and the residents of the lower lands prepared to
move. . . .
The river
continued to rise until it reached a mark of 24 feet 10 inches, or two inches
below that set in 1909. This was late Monday night. Then came
reports of a break in the dike in Burlington
and soon after the dike at Conway
south of here broke. Both these town were flooded. About 4:30
Tuesday morning, the dike near Charles Wiles place, a short distance west
from Riverside Bridge and on the south bank of the
river went through. Within a few hours the flats between the bridge and
Mt. Vernon were covered with several feet
of water. Other breaks occurred at intervals south of Mt. Vernon at
Pritchard’s, two below the Sheriffs place and two on the north
fork. With the breaking of the dikes the river began to drop
slightly. . . . Pioneers recall that
only once have the flood waters of the Skagit reached the downtown streets of
Mt. Vernon and this was in 1897. Other floods have occurred in 1906, 1909, 1911,
and January, 1918.
|
12/12/21 Flood
Event
Three days of heavy rains.
24 ft 10 inches would be approx. 32 ft 10
inches at the current gage. Two inches below 1909 flood. USGS
says 141,000 cfs at Mt.
Vernon for 1921.
No figure for 1909.
Only time downtown Mt. Vernon
went underwater was 1897? Also
went underwater in 1894.
|
12/15/21
Argus
|
Urges Action to Stop
Floods
C.F. Williams of Big Seed Company Calls for
Positive Prevention
I think, in fact know, and there are few
who do not think as I do, that it is a pitiable shame and an unnecessary
condition, for the good people of this section of Washington to be called
upon to look forward to flood waters about every so often; a sort of
periodical threat to wipe out many homes, destroy farms and livestock.
. . .
From what I can learn, folks who buy here
after an investigation of climate, resources and local peculiarities, are not
surprised when a flood is predicted; they do not get overly excited when a
warning is sent forth that the dike here, or the dike there is in a weakened
condition and likely to break. They take it as a matter of course, and
even smile while it may mean, and in dozens of cases does mean almost total
loss to them of this world’s goods. I admire their spirit and
their nerve, but I do not understand or admire their patience.
This periodic inundation of soil and
destruction of property, to say nothing about the uneasiness of mind and loss
to merchants and others, is unnecessary, and ought not to be tolerated any
longer than it is required to find a solution and put it into execution!
Mr. Meehan has his idea of how the water
may be controlled. On the map he pointed it out to us. Whether it
is feasible, possible or the best thing to do I am not prepared to say
– but this I do truly believe: If there is no way to control this
condition which prevails when a warm wind and much rain hits soft snow in the
foothills and lower mountain regions, it will be one of the very few problems
the Yankee mind has failed to solve!
|
Great letter to the editor. Should be
reprinted and made required reading for all public officials and citizens.
Meehan was the County Engineer.
Although his plan is not identified here it is believed that “his
plan” would have been the Avon Bypass as by this time he would have
been talking to Herzog who worked for the GNRR who published his report in
1922.
|
12/15/21
Argus
|
Auto Traffic Halted
Burlington cannot be reached
by machine at this time, reports state, even the Avon
detour being impassable.
|
Burlington was underwater
during the 1921 flood due to levee breaks.
|
12/16/21
B.J.
|
big flood
inundates skagit
valley
The Skagit
lowland region is passing through another memorable flood period. In
consequence of which thousands of dollars of property have been destroyed in
the path of the flood. Six weeks of
excessive rains, followed last Sunday night till Monday noon by
compelling Chinook breezes at the beginning of which the Skagit River
was ban full, opened the flood gates in the foothills, and mountains of water
poured out to the sea, inundating the greater portion of the valley of the Skagit. The last crushing flood disaster, which
inundated the valley of the Skagit occurred
January 1, 1918.
The widespread destruction wrought then, if estimated in dollar losses,
doubtless greater than that caused by the flood of last Tuesday.
The present diking system, so
faultily constructed, useless and inadequate, never has nor could
control flood waters when built on the banks of the river. . . .
Doubtless a diked in basin a mile wide could function, safeguarding the delta
region when flood waters pour to the sea.
Monday night, December 12, the dikes east
and southeast of Burlington
broke. Tuesday morning at six o’clock the flood water covered Fairhaven Avenue,
and in part the residence districts of the city. At this time the
entire lowlands lying east, west, south and in part northwest of Burlington were
inundated. The depth of water is on relative, the lamentable fact being
that the area of low lands covered with water was wide-spread. That
certain spots escaped water, neither lessons the flood evil nor removes its
threatening menace as the destruction wrought during the last three recurring
flood periods of 1909, 1917 and 1921 encompass a wide area of lowlands, some
districts suffering greater damages than others, the river in its flood
course to the sea, evidently changing or seeking an outlet wherever river
dikes could first be swept away. . . . While flood damages in Burlington have been
large, the flood waters disappeared from the principal business and residence
streets within 12 hours following the overflow.
The damage to the Great Northern and
interurban right-of-ways was not nearly as great as that caused by the flood
of 1918,
yet the main line of the Great Northern will not be repaired until late next
week. The main line of the interurban and the Sedro-Woolley branch are
in operation and the Great Northern Sedro-Woolley Rockport branch of the
Great Northern will be in operation by Saturday.
|
12/12/21 Flood
Event
Six weeks of excessive rains. Skagit
Argus reported 1917 flood was caused by 4 weeks of excessive rains.
Most interesting. 1917 flood caused
more damage than 1921 flood. Stewart said 1921 flood was larger.
No doubt both flood events impacted by major portions of overbank storage
being used up before flood started.
Suggested channel be widened to a mile
wide.
According to statement at end of article
this must have been the most eastern section of Fairhaven as it states “flood waters
disappeared from the principal business and residence streets within 12 hours
following the overflow.”
Further evidence 1921 flood not as bad as
1917 flood.
|
12/17/21
C.H.
|
heavy damage was caused by
floods in lower
valley
Reports reaching
here from Sedro-Woolley, Mount
Vernon, Burlington
and other points in the western end of the county are to the effect that the
flood damage in that section will mount to several million dollars. Dikes along the lower Skagit, from Burlington west, broke
in many places and thousands of acres of farm lands were flooded. Many dwelling houses and barns were
swept from their foundations and hundreds of head of livestock drowned. Many of the residents of the flooded
districts had narrow escapes when the dikes gave way, but so far as known no
lives were lost. At Hamilton the entire town
was covered with water to a depth of from three to seven feet, the water
entering every business house in town.
Sidewalks were washed away and considerable inconvenience and small
damage caused the residents, but no heavy losses are reported. Lyman and Sedro-Woolley were above the
flood mark, but many losses are reported from the adjacent farming communities. … Breaking of dikes near Riverside flooded the entire flats from Mount Vernon to Edison
and LaConner, and it is in this district that the greatest loss was
caused. The communities of Conway
and Stanwood also suffered heavily from the high waters when dikes near
Stanwood gave way. … Several farm residences near Burlington were swept
away, the occupants being reached by rowboats.
|
December 12, 1921
Flood Event
Hamilton covered with water from three to seven feet. Very much like it was in 2003.
|
12/17/21
C.H.
|
rockport
Mr. And Mrs.
Perry Harding, of Sauk, have taken up their residence in the Janson cottage here, coming here after the flood waters
of the Sauk and Skagit rivers drove them to spend a day and night in box cars
on the Great Northern track. The waters of the Sauk completely covered the
track to a depth of several inches, having risen to the greatest height ever
known at that place.
|
December 12, 1921
Flood Event
Sauk River Flood Waters
Flood waters at
“greatest height ever known”.
|
12/17/21
C.H.
|
skagit river goes on wild rampage; light damage here
After being on its good behavior for four
years, the Skagit
River went on a rampage
again Monday, and when the flood reached its crest at midnight Monday night
it was found that the highest mark in the history of Concrete had been
reached. The steady rain of
Saturday and Sunday brought the river to flood stage Sunday night, and it was
then feared that the river would go over its banks before midnight. The weather turned colder in the
evening, and by midnight the river was at a standstill, and by morning had
fallen about 18 inches. Early
Monday forenoon the rain started again, accompanied by a Chinook wind, and
the Skagit soon began to rise rapidly again,
reaching its greatest height about midnight. … In Crofoot addition only three
residences remained above the high water mark, the water being to a depth of
an inch to 14 inches in the others.
… The damage caused
in this vicinity and throughout the upper valley was considerably less than during
the flood of four years ago, except at Sauk, although the water was almost
two feet higher than in 1917.
… At Sauk the water
was from four to six feet deep in the store and residences, and the total
loss is heavy. … There is some argument as to whether
this flood was higher than that of 1909, but the general opinion seems to be
that it was just as high or a few inches higher than the mark reached that
year.
|
December 12, 1921
Flood Event
Double-pump event
with floods only being two days apart.
Crofoot addition
water was one to 14 inches deep with only three residences remaining above flood
waters.
Floodwaters as
deep or a little higher then 1909 flood.
|
12/22/21
Argus
|
Cold Adds to Flood
Damage
County Commissioner J.Z. Nelson Says
Loss More Than Half Million
Following close on the heels of the high
water which last Tuesday flooded a large area of the fertile Skagit Valley, has come a week of extremely
cold weather at least for this country.
J.Z. Nelson, member of the board of county
commissioners, said yesterday that at first he had placed the amount of
damage done to the ranchers, county property, and railroads at about a half
million dollars…
East Burlington perhaps shows the
most damage from the high water where the river overflowed Fairhaven avenue. W.H.
Walker’s house on the south side of the avenue was overturned and split
into two. Mr. Walker was in the house at the time. The force of
the concussion turned his bed over, throwing him into about three feet of
water. He was rescued in a boat after several hours waiting and calling
for help. …
Train service over the Great Northern was
resumed last night and the mail and freight will be received with somewhat
more regularity. …
No action has been taken yet by the various
diking districts toward repairing the dikes, nor have any meetings been
called to discuss future work. Many farmers are talking of calling mass
meetings to talk over the question of proper protection from floods and many
different theories as to what should be done are being talked about on the
street corners. Many favor the building of a spillway from the Avon
bend to salt water in Padilla bay, while others say that to straighten the
river at the Avon bend by cutting a channel through from south of Burlington
to a point at Mount Vernon. Others declare that the Skagit river must
be dredged from its mouth up to a point above Burlington,
and still others say that the Seattle
dam at Ruby creek will offer much protection, although when this project will
be completed is doubtful.
Many declare that to secure prompt and
efficient action regarding flood protection, all drainage and diking
districts should be consolidated into one county-wide district with
responsible men at the head of it.
|
1921 Flood
Last Tuesday would have been December 20,
1921. Flood crested Tuesday, December 13, 1921. Must have meant
last Tuesday a week ago.
At this time the levees were 4,000 feet
back from their current location. He must have been living near the
dike break.
This would be the current BNSF tracks.
Means R/R repaired the tracks in just 9 days.
Avon By-Pass, “straighten the
river” build dams and dredging.
Consolidate the dike districts.
|
12/22/21
CT
|
skagit
county flood loss estimated at half
million dollars minimum -- more stories of damage up-river; roads wiped out;
ferries and bridges destroyed; work of repairing flood damage starts; no
report of drowning in entire skagit flood district; flood worst in skagit history
While the loss to property in Skagit county, due to the flood, is estimated by the
county commissioners at more than half a million dollars, only a small
portion of this amount was incurred by the farmers of the county. In
fact, most of the flooded land where the current was not swift, was benefited
by the flooded land where the current was not swift, was benefited by the
flooding and deposits of silt. . . . Abe Young, who lives near
Sauk, was a heavy loser. His house and a barn filled with hay and about
fifteen acres of fine orchard land were washed down the river. For a
mile at the lower end of the Sauk river, is a continuous jam of logs and debris.
Above the White place, the whole mountain slid in, carrying road and
all. Several Indians lost their houses and their little farms.
The water was 52 inches high in the Sauk store and did some damage to the
bottom layer of goods piled on benches and showcases. . . . Miles
of the road up the Sauk river was washed out. Mr. Thompson is doubtful
if the old route will ever be used again. At present a new trail is
being cut. When a new road is built, it will probably be constructed
along the hill, out of danger of the river. . . . The damage in
the southern part of the county and on the flats cannot be estimated yet as
the land is still under water. It is thought that salt water dikes on
the flats have broken recently. When these are repaired, it is probably
that the water will have to be pumped out. . . . The farm of Mr.
and Mrs. A.H. Hamburg on the river bank south of town, was hard hit by the
flood. Mr. and Mrs. Hamburg
lived for two days in fear of their lives. The flood either washed out
or covered with logs practically all of their five acres. They lost
their horse and wagon, about 100 chickens, their ducks and geese, and their
big garden patch was totally destroyed. The house is filled with
mud. Where the chicken yard used to be is a hole 15 feet deep and the
entire place is a mass of wreckage. Most of their fruit trees and berry
bushes are ruined.
|
DECEMBER 12, 1921
FLOOD
USGS (Stewart) 240,000 cfs Concrete (47.6),
210,000 cfs Sedro-Woolley, Corps 140,000 cfs Mt. Vernon.
Most of flooded land benefited from the
flood!!
Lower end of Sauk River
a continuous jam of logs and debris.
Sauk River road washed out.
Salt water dikes broken.
Hamburg farm hard
hit. House filled with mud.
|
12/22/21
CT
|
Biggest flood in skagit
history say old-timers
The flood of 1921 is the biggest flood in
the history of the Skagit, according to old
timers, who recall the floods of 1879, 1888, 1897 and on up to the big flood
of 1909 and the 1917 freshet. Mrs. Dreyer, who lives west of town, tells of
the big flood of 1888, when in some places the river backed up higher than
this year. She says that not so much damage was done then because there were
practically no dikes and the water spread over the lowlands more gradually. Measurements
at the Dalles,
near Concrete, show that the flood water this year reached a point two feet
higher than at any previous time in the memory of the oldest settler. Charley
Moses says that it was the biggest flood, with the biggest volume of water
ever carried in the Skagit. At Van Horn the
water was 14½ inches higher than it had ever been. In 1909 the river
in the upper valley was only about two-thirds as wide as it is now. Hundreds
of acres of land are being washed away every year, by both Skagit
and Sauk rivers. W. A. Ellison says he has been on the upper river for 21
years and this is the biggest flood he has seen or heard old timers tell
about.
|
BIGGEST FLOOD IN HISTORY
DALLES TWO FEET HIGHER THAN 1909.
Charley Moses lived in valley through 1906,
1911, 1917 and 1921 events. He observed the height of the river in The Dalles in 1921.
|
12/22/21
CT
|
flood will not hurt grain fields
Very little damage has been done by the
flood to the berry and grain fields, says County Horticulturist E. D. Hunter.
In fact, Mr. Hunter states, the silt deposits was beneficial. Only where
there was a strong current or where there was a strong current or where
stands for a week or longer, there will be a possibility of loss. . . .
|
Berry Crops Not Hurt In
1921 Flood
Silt deposits beneficial.
|
12/22/21
CT
|
Huge Spillway For Skagit
River Proposed To
Prevent Flooding
Closely following the recent flood,
naturally comes the discussion as to whether such destructive inundations
cannot be prevented and what means could be used to accomplish their
prevention. Comes now County Commissioner Zig
Nelson with a suggestion, which deserves serious consideration, in the
opinion of many. Mr. Nelson points out the fact that Sedro-Woolley is
protected on account of the Sterling
cut-off, which opens a straight course for flood waters past Sedro-Woolley,
thus minimizing the danger to this community. Below the cut-off, the
waters reaching the big bend in the river this side of Burlington, break out
of the banks and continue on the straightest course, as the deep channel east
of Burlington clearly shows. Nelson’s plan is to construct an
immense spillway starting at the Sterling
bend and continuing in as straight a course as possible to deep salt water,
which he says is seven miles in a straight line from the bend, while the
river meanders some twenty-one miles before emptying in to the Sound.
|
1st Avon By-Pass Proposal
Commissioner Zig
Nelson. The overflow channel he is describing would have been in the
Strawberry Bar area of the Burlington Bend (a/k/a Sterling Bend). The
deep channel he refers to is Gages Slough.
|
12/24/21
C.H.
|
hamilton reports much damage by last
week’s flood
Almost universal housecleaning has been the
rule in Hamilton
this week. Only a few houses in
the main part of town escaped the muddy waters of the flood, which reached
its highest point about midnight Monday.
At one o’clock Tuesday morning the waters began to recede, and
by nine o’clock all houses except a few on the exceptionally low ground
were clear of water, but the mud remained. … Old residents here tell of three
former big floods in the history of the town, in 1897, 1909, and 1917, and it
is said that this flood was one of the highest, though probably not quite as
high as that of 1897.
… The Van Horn
Shingle Company at Van Horn lost heavily. The shingle sheds were ruined, the
filing room of the mill was carried away, and two dry kilns collapsed and the
shingles which they contained floated away on the flood. Residents of the houses by the mill,
including Mr. And Mrs. W.A. Ellison, took refuge in the mill, putting a stove
in the filing room, stove and all, but the main part of the mill remained
standing. Mr. Ellison telephoned
to Hamilton
every hour, giving reports on the rise of the water until the telephone line
to his station across the river went out, then Mr. Shields reported from the
Van Horn side of the river until the water rose to the telephone and it had
to be taken from the wall. These
reports enabled the Hamilton
people to estimate the rise here and to prepare for it.
|
December 12, 1921
Flood Event
Flood in Hamilton one of the
highest although probably not as high as 1897.
|
12/24/21
C.H.
|
skagit valley is recovering from effects of flood
The Skagit valley is slowly recovering
from the effects of the big flood of last week, and as far as Concrete is
concerned, conditions are now about back to normal again. During the first part of the week only
a small part of the mail came through and that very irregularly, as the railroad
was closed and the county roads were in such condition that stages could not
operate on a regular schedule.
The freezing weather helped the roads and by Wednesday the stages were
making their regular trips. The
railroad was opened between this city and Burlington
Wednesday and the passenger train made its first run over the road, and in
the evening brought to Concrete about two tons of mail that had accumulated
in Sedro-Woolley and Burlington.
|
December 12, 1921
Flood Event
Stage coaches
were making regular trips within one week of big flood.
|
12/31/21
C.H.
|
flood was highest in skagit county history
Old timers in the Skagit valley, who have
seen all the floods in the Skagit valley since the early 80’s say that
the recent flood carried a greater volume of water than any previous flood
since the county was settled, surpassing even the famous high water of 1897. The fact that the river did not reach
marks set in former years at some points in the upper valley is accounted for
by the widening of the river since that time. In all places where the banks of the
river have remained unchanged the 1921
mark is considerably above that of any previous flood known to settlers.
|
December 12, 1921
Flood Event
Highest flood in
the history of the county. See 12/22/21
CT article.
|
1/5/22
Argus
|
Fire First Gun in
Flood Fight
Permanent Organization To Be Formed
“To Improve Skagit
River.”
The first gun in the flood fight against
flood waters in the Skagit valley was fired Tuesday evening at a mass meeting
of Skagit county citizens held in the court house at Mount Vernon. More than 250 gathered
within the court room, the doors were locked and as many more were turned
away.
. . .
Charles Nelson, pioneer and strong dike
worker, was the first to be called on by the chairman for his views on what
course should be taken for flood prevention. He states it would be
useless to build more dikes but that to build jetties at the mouth of the
river, dredge the outlets and straighten the channel would be his solution of
the problem.
Peter Samuelson urged the consolidation of
the diking districts, stating that to do so would save enough money to buy a
dredge for the county and to keep it in use.
John Kill also urged that the diking
districts be put under one head for more efficient work and to save the
taxpayers more money. It was shown that there are now seventeen such
districts in the county. He also said efforts should be made to secure
the assistance of the federal government.
That the people of the county should take
the burden of providing adequate protection on their own shoulders, was the
opinion of H.L. Willis, who cited the accomplishment of the city of Gaveston [Galveston, TX],
which built its mammoth sea wall by bonding its own citizens without any
outside assistance. He urged the adoption of organized effort as soon
as possible and concluded with, “Let’s do the job
ourselves.”
Alfred Polson spoke briefly in favor of
dredging the channel of the river. He was followed by Captain Siegel
who said he had no solution but offered the information that in some twenty
odd years the river bed has risen eighteen feet.
A tangible plan was shown by W. H.
Franklin, who proposed that the channel should be straightened from
Sedro-Woolley to its mouth. He had maps and drawings of this project
and figures as to its probable cost. He declared that the Skagit would dredge itself if straightened. His
estimated cost of the project was more than three and a half million.
O.J. Whitmarsh
voiced his approval of going after federal aid as the Skagit
was a navigable stream. Its channel should be straightened, he added.
H.A. McLean was finally prevailed upon to
give his opinion and stated at the outset that he was first in favor of
securing a practical engineer to handle the proposition.
…
O. Rudene spoke
at some length urging that the county should procure a dredger and clean out
the channel. Brian Dillon also spoke in favor of dredging the river and
also suggested that the height of the dikes be lowered. He said it was
better to get a little water more frequently than a whole lot at one time.
|
Community
Meeting
People
turned away after 250 flooded courtroom.
No
more dikes. Build jetties at mouth, dredge outlets and straighten
channel.
Consolidate
dike districts and buy a dredge.
Consolidate
dike districts, get help from Feds.
“Do it
ourselves.”
Dredge it. River “raised 18
feet in 20 years”? If that process continued that would put the
level of the river about 92 feet above current location.
Straighten river, and it would dredge
itself.
Straighten and get Fed help.
Hire an engineer.
Dredging. Overtopping levees.
|
1/7/22
C.H.
|
flood damage to roads was less than in 1917
According to a statement issued by Frank Gilkey, county engineer, the damage to county roads
caused by the flood of last month is not so great as that of the flood of
1917, and had many of these roads not been paved they would have been washed
out. The damage to bridges was
also much less than was expected.
The force from the current is shown on the Fir-Island road where three
slabs of pavement, each weighing about twenty tons, were washed into a field
150 feet from the road. The
five-ton limit on trucks will remain in force until next Saturday, January
14.
|
Roads were paved
sometime between 1917 and 1921.
|
1/7/22
C.H.
|
meeting held to plan way to prevent floods
A mass meeting was held in the county court
room in Mount Vernon Tuesday to discuss ways
and means of eliminating the flood danger in the lower Skagit Valley. The meeting was attended by about 250
farmers and other residents of the valley, and plans for curbing the flood
waters of the Skagit ranged from the building of a huge spillway from Mount Vernon to Puget Sound,
changing the bed of the river, to the reforestation of the logged-off areas
on the upper river. A plan that
met general favor was to consolidate all the diking districts to provide
funds for buying a dredge to keep the channel of the river open the year
round. The only definite action
taken was the appointment of a committee to make a thorough investigation of
the matter.
|
Flood Control
Meeting
Buy a dredge boat
was suggested as way to curb flooding.
|
1/12/22
Argus
|
Nelson Names the Committee
Seven
Men Will Investigate the Problem of Flood Protection In Skagit County
…H.L.
Willis, Mount Vernon, chairman; John Finstad, Conway; Charles A. Nelson,
LaConner; Augustus Brawley, Mount Vernon; Hiram Stump, Edison; Charles
Callahan, Burlington, and Will Knutzen, North Avon…
|
FIRST FLOOD CONTROL
COMMITTEE
|
1/12/22
Argus
|
Ruby Creek Dam As Skagit Aid
Seattle Engineer Would
Show Pictures Here of Project
County Engineer Frank Gilkey is
in receipt of a communication from C. F. Uhden,
engineer in charge of the Ruby creek dam feature of the Skagit project now
under construction by the city of Seattle,
expressing appreciation of the interest being taken by Mount
Vernon people in the project as it effects the flood situation
of the Skagit river.
Mr. Uhden also
expresses a willingness to come here in person and demonstrate the Ruby creek
project to Skagit county residents through the medium of a lantern slide
lecture and explain in what ways this dam may assist in controlling flood
waters of the Skagit.
|
Ross
Dam impacts flood control.
|
1/12/22
Argus
|
City Club Into Flood Problem
Commercial
Organization Will Confer With Seattle
Engineer on Plans
The
president appointed Frank Gilkey, county engineer,
and Mayor Moody to confer with C.F. Uhden, who is
the engineer in charge of the Ruby creek feature of the Skagit project,
relative to the effect this dam will have on Skagit
river floods. This appointment was made at the suggestion of H.L.
Willis, chairman of the committee formed by County Commissioner Nelson to
investigate the diking situation.
|
Chamber
of Commerce gets active. Endorsed building of Ross Dam.
|
1/19/22
CT
|
big crowd listens
to seattle experts discuss flood plan –
dam said to be sure cure for skagit valley floods – engineers uhden and
dimock of seattle,
explain plans for huge dam: sedro woolley interested
A large crowd gathered in the Rex theater
in Mt. Vernon Tuesday evening to listen to
the plans for a possible means of stopping floods by damming the water at its
source. About three hundred were present. . . . Mr. Uhden, the engineer in charge of the big Seattle
project on the Skagit river, told all about
his work, illustrating with lantern slides. He said that Seattle is planning a
dam 480 feet high, on Ruby creek, which will take ten years to build,
according to present plans. If Skagit
county men wish to raise money to pay for the work, a flood gate dam will be
built instead of a solid crest dam as at present planned. He showed the
possibilities of stopping flood which this dam would have. He said that
the Skagit river had 100,000 cfs through
Sedro-Woolley, while the flow through Ruby creek was 30,000 cfs. The
last 20 feet of the dam will take care of one-half of this volume of water
for three days, during a flood, and an additional 10 feet would take care of
the remainder for six days. The engineers are agreed that this dam is the
only logical solution of the flood problem. Mr. Gilkey
said that his idea was to get federal aid to help build the dam with flood
gates. It was stated that if the people of Skagit county wished to go
in on the dam, and have Seattle change its plans, the work could be speeded
up to take only five instead of ten years. Another statement made was
that the damage in Skagit county for the
last two floods was a million and a half dollars.
|
Ross Dam
Flood control not in original plans. Seattle wanted Skagit County
to get funding for flood gates.
Estimates of flood flows were obviously too
low.
Damage in 1917 and 1921 floods only 1.5
million? That would convert to 15,463,917 2003 dollars. Of course
with today’s development in the floodplain that figure would be
increased several times over. (Source: Consumer Price
Index)
|
1/22/22
C.H.
|
plan to control floods in skagit
at ruby creek dam
That the waters of the Skagit River can be
controlled, in time of flood, by the huge dam that the city of Seattle
proposes to build at the mouth of Ruby creek, in connection with its power
project on the upper Skagit, was the argument advanced by C. E. Uhden, chief engineer on the project, at a mass meeting
held in the Rex theatre in Mount Vernon Tuesday night. He stated that the
plans for the dam, as drawn for the power project, would have to be modified
if it was also to be used as a means for flood control, but that the
additional cost could be financed through state or county aid. … He claims that the dam would hold the
full normal flow the Skagit river for three or four days, and that during
times of flood the waters from the upper river could be held back for at
least 24 hours, giving the flood waters from the streams of the lower valley
time to run off, then the water held at Ruby creek could be gradually
released. By modifying the construction of the dam it would be so built that
it would hold a larger raise without any danger of flooding the lower valley
when the spillways are opened.
|
Ruby Creek (Ross)
Dam
Seattle City
Light says Ross Dam could be used for flood control HOWEVER, would require
funding from county or state.
|
1/26/22
Argus
|
Work For Large
Flood District
Committee and Dike and Drainage Commissioners
Plan Permanent Body
That an enlarged improvement district must
be organized before any definite steps can be taken for protection against
the high water of the Skagit river, was the opinion expressed at a meeting
held here Thursday of the diking and drainage commissioners and the committee
recently named to investigate means to prevent future floods. A vote of
all present showed that this opinion was nearly unanimous. …
Through discussion it was found that it
would be necessary for the community to secure some outside assistance and
that before this could be done some sort of permanent organization must be
formed. ….
Such an improvement district as has been
suggested can be formed but it would be allowed only a small levy for its
work which was shown would not be enough to do any great amount of flood
prevention.
…
Allen R. Moore, Mr. Willis stated, is to
appear before the committee tonight with his theory for the prevention of
floods in the Skagit valley.
|
This was the beginning of the River
Improvement Fund. “Nearly unanimous.”
Get help from Feds.
River Improvement Fund not enough to do it
alone.
Still don’t know what Moore wanted to
do.
|
2/14/22
C.H.
|
commissioners inspect flood damage in valley
County Commissioners J. Z. Nelson, E. Van Buren and
Richard Thompson spent several days in the upper Skagit
valley the first of the week, inspecting the county roads and river banks to
ascertain how much damage had been caused by the flood of last month. They
found several ferries missing; a few bridges washed out and some damage to
the roads, but not so much as had been anticipated. At Rockport and on up the
river they were accompanied by C. F. Uhden,
construction engineer of Seattle’s
power project.
|
Flood Damage
Ferries missing
and a few bridges washed out.
|
3/4/22
C.H.
|
flood control of the skagit river
to be discussed
A meeting of taxpayers owning land, which
is subject to overflow, along the Skagit
River has been called by H. L.
Willis, chairman of the Skagit river
improvement committee.
… The main plan of
the committee is to organize a river improvement district under a law enacted
by the legislature in 1911. This law allows such a district to buy or condemn
land for straightening the channel of a river, to build dikes, locks and
floodgates, and take any other action that may be necessary to control the
flow of water. As the Skagit River is navigable, the acts of the district will
be subject to the approval of the war department of the United States. The estimated
acreage of the proposed district is around 70,000, and the cost of any
improvement undertaken will be assessed against the land in the district in a
similar manner to assessments in diking or drainage districts.
|
Flood Control
Meeting
Wanted to form
flood control district for whole county.
|
3/10/22
C.H.
|
beet sugar plant may be located in the skagit valley
The raising of sugar beets will become one
of the leading industries of the Skagit
valley if plans now being worked out by the Sedro-Woolley commercial club and
farmers of the valley are successful.
… Mr. Horne stated
that if the farmers of Skagit, Whatcom and Snohomish counties would plant at
least 5,000 acres of sugar beets, that his company would build a $1,250,000
factory at some central point in the district to handle the crop, and would
agree to purchase all beets raised at prices ranging from $5.50 to $18 per
ton, according to the price of sugar.
… The company agrees
to sell seed to the farmers at 15 cents per pound, ten pounds being enough to
plant an acre. The company will also furnish a drill and plant the seed at 75
cents an acre. It is estimated that it will take the price of ten tons to pay
all the expenses of raising and marketing the beets, leaving about $110 an
acre profit to the growers.
|
Agricultural
History
Beet sugar plant
proposed for area. Sugar beets
going from $5.50 to $18 per ton.
Beet seed 15¢ per pound.
|
3/18/22
C.H.
|
promoter is found guilty of
fraud in selling tidelands
Oliver M. Sparks,
charged jointly with C. A. Sparks, Geo E. Dye and E. C. Hart with the use of
the mails to defraud and conspiracy in connection with the sale of tidelands
in the Skagit delta district, was found guilty on both charges by a jury in
the federal court in Seattle
Tuesday. His trial lasted for two weeks, many prominent Skagit
county residents being called as witnesses as to the location and value of
the lands sold by the promoters.
The defendants were alleged to have sold about 12,000 acres of land
under tidewater lying between the north and south forks of the Skagit River, on their assertions that this
land could be reclaimed as reasonable cost. The government contended that the
land was worthless, and soil and drainage experts called as witnesses during
the course of the trial testified that the cost of diking the lands would be
prohibitive, and further that the land could not be used for agricultural
purposes if drained, as it was practically all sand. It is claimed that the
lands sold brought in $30,000, nearly all from people who were anxious to
secure a small tract of land for a home and a small farm.
|
Tidelands Bust
Scheme to sell Skagit tidelands thwarted.
|
4/1/22
C.H.
|
forest service to survey road from here to baker lake
According to an announcement made this week
by George H. Cecil, district forester of the Portland
office of the forestry service, the government will survey a route for a
wagon road from this city to the Baker Lake
fish hatchery this summer, and that the road will be built next year. It is
reported that the money for the construction of the road is available, as
$100,000 of the funds appropriated for road building within forest reserves
has been set aside for this project.
There are two routes to the Baker Lake hatchery from this city, one on
each side of the Baker River, and so far there has been no information given
out as to which route will be used by the forestry service, but it is the
general opinion that the road will be on the west side of the river.
|
Baker
Lake Road
Wagon trail to be
built to Baker Lake Hatchery.
|
5/13/22
C.H.
|
o’malley is
appointed as fish commissioner
Henry
O’Malley of Seattle
was appointed Wednesday by President Harding to the office of commissioner of
the bureau of fisheries, to succeed Dr. Hugh M Smith, who resigned some
months ago. … Mr. O’Malley entered the
fisheries service 20 years ago as apprentice fish culturist at St. Johnsburg,
Vt. In 1898 he was transferred to the
Pacific coast and placed in charge of the government hatchery at Baker Lake,
near this city, and made his headquarters here for several years, later
serving in the Columbia river district and in Alaska before he was placed in charge of
all coast hatcheries four years ago.
|
Baker Lake Fish
Hatchery
Man who built Baker Lake hatchery appointed to run federal fish
agency by President Harding.
According to this
article it was the federal government not the state government who built the Baker Lake fish hatchery in 1898.
|
9/28/22
Argus
|
Hadley Working on
River Control
Congressman Seeks Federal Aid to Curb Skagit; Asks for Data
I was not quite certain, but thought it
might be possible to have the survey provided for in the River and Harbor
Bill extended to include an examination and report by the engineers on the
question of flood control. I therefore took that question up with
General Taylor of the Board of Engineers of Rivers and Harbors who states it
is his view that the examination and report as to flood control could not be
made without authorization through the Flood Control Committee of the House,
as contemplated in the bill which I have introduced and which is now pending
before that committee.
…
…My own idea is that a showing should
be made by persons personally cognizant of the facts covering the periodical
floods, their frequency, the nature and extent of the same, the nature and
extent of the damage sustained in floods of recent years, the conditions
which make their recurrence probable, the extent of the area and some idea of
the population affected by the floods, the measures heretofore taken by local
citizens or authorities to afford protection against the floods and generally
any facts which will support the necessity and reasonableness of the end
sought by the bill.
Very truly yours,
Lin. H. Hadley
|
Congressman Hadley letter to Mt. Vernon
Commercial Club.
Congressman’s efforts led to 1925
Corps of Engineers Report. SKAGIT
RIVER, WASH., PE by
Col. W.J. Barden, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #125,
69th Congress, 1st Session}
|
10/12/22
Argus
|
Promise $35,000
For The Skagit
Government Would Ask Waivers For Any
Possible Damages
“When the farmers residing south of
Mount Vernon all sign a waiver of damages, stating that they will not hold
the United States government liable nor responsible for damages which might
arise from high water or other unexpected causes, the government officials
will agree to the expenditure of $35,000 available for river
improvement,” was the statement of Colonel Schultz, United States
district engineer for the Pacific Coast, who was here on an inspection trip
with assistant engineer H.J.E. Baker early this week.
The snagboat,
Swinomish, was used for this special inspection tour which included the Great
Northern bridge, North Fork dam and Skagit River
bar.
The hope was expressed by the party that
the matter of river improvement might be settled at once as it has been
prolonged over a considerable period of time and is attracting much attention
now particularly in view of the river and harbors appropriation bill
introduced by Congressman Lin H. Hadley.
|
No
indication what the Corps was going to do. Later articles suggest that
they wanted to dredge North and South Forks.
|
10/14/22
C.H.
|
concrete men are
awarded contract on upper skagit
William Jennings
and Robert Nestos of this city have been awarded a
contract by the city of Seattle for clearing
fifteen miles of the right of way for the transmission line to run from the
city’s power project at Newhalem to Seattle. The clearing unit awarded to the
local men runs from the camp at Newhalem to Rocky creek, and this contract is
the first to be let on this work, but other contracts for clearing along the
transmission line are to be let soon. The bid of the Concrete men amounted to
approximately $59,000, their bid being the lowest of four submitted, the
other bidders being Seattle
firms. … The right of way for the transmission
line will follow the Skagit River to the vicinity of Rockport, were it will
cross the Skagit and follow the Sauk river valley to Darrington, from where
it will make a direct line to Seattle.
For the greater part of this distance the right of way will be cleared to a
width of 300 feet.
|
Seattle City Light Electric
Transmission Line Construction
Locals awarded
contract to clear land for transmission line from Newhalem. Newhalem to Rockport, cross Skagit and
follow Sauk River
to Darrington, then to Seattle.
|
10/19/22
Argus
|
Will Get Data On Skagit River
U.S. Engineer Asks
Senator Poindexter to Secure Information
United States Senator Miles Poindexter has
been asked by Col. Edward H. Schulz, United
States engineer in charge of river and harbor work in
the Northwest, for all available information regarding plans for the
improvement of the Skagit river, according to word from Seattle.…
When he returns to western Washington next week, Senator Poindexter will assemble
data to show the locations to be improved, depths required and other facts
and as soon as possible will confer with Skagit
county people. On a recent visit to Skagit county Senator Poindexter
inquired into the possibilities of flood control and protection of the mouth
of the river, stating he believed the federal government should as rapidly as
possible control the waters of the Skagit
and prevent future damage by floods.
|
This was the beginning of the Preliminary
Examination published by the Corps January 31, 1925. Amazing, back then
the Corps could do a prelim study in a little over 2 years. Today we
call it a Recon Study and it took the Corps the same amount of time.
|
11/9/22
Argus
|
Begin a Survey of Skagit River
Data on Flood Conditions Will Be Gathered
– Report To Commissioners
Steps are being taken by the Skagit River
Committee toward getting a survey made of flood conditions. Yesterday
the committee met with the Board of County Commissioners offering a report
and suggesting ways and means of securing a survey. .
. .
While there they conferred with Mr. Parker,
head of the United States Geological Survey for this district. He
emphasized the necessity of securing data as to the volume of water coming
down the Skagit especially during the flood
period.
He also stated that he had a man in his
office who is an expert on this kind of work and he offered this man’s
services to the county. He also could secure the data required,
especially the volume of flood water, during last December. Many flood
marks have been obliterated but this material should be gathered as soon as
possible
…The data on the Skagit
river which in past years has been collected by the Great Northern and
Northern Pacific railroads, the War Department and Geological Survey will be
assembled as the first step in making a survey of the river. H.L.
Willis is chairman of the committee.
|
Report must have been verbal as no hard
copy was located in the State Archives of the County Commissioners
meeting. The next day the Commissioners passed Resolution #1131 which
stated:
WHEREAS, G.L. Parker has been recommended
for this survey. NOW THEREFORE, It is hereby ordered that the County Engineer employ G.L. Parker at a
salary not to exceed $250.00 per month to make such survey. All work to
be done under the supervision of the County Engineer
and payment for same made by warrants drawn on the River Improvement Fund.
No mention of hiring USGS, just
Parker. Other then this resolution no agreement between USGS and Skagit County was located. Interesting
also is that article was published Thursday, November 9, 1922 and resolution
was signed Friday, November 10, 1922.
|
11/11/22
C.H.
|
begin a survey of
flood conditions on skagit
river
Steps have been
taken by the Skagit river committee towards
getting a survey made of flood conditions, preparatory to making plans for
the ultimate control of floods on the river. The committee met with the board
of county commissioners Wednesday and made a report of what it had
accomplished up to this time and offering suggestions as to ways and means of
securing a comprehensive survey.
Some weeks ago the committee went to Tacoma
and inspected the improvement work on the Puyallup
River, and while there conferred
with Mr. Parker, head of the United
States geological survey, for this
district. Mr. Parker emphasized the necessity of securing data as to the
volume of water coming down the Skagit,
especially during the flood period. He also stated that he had a man with the
survey who is an expert on work of this kind and tendered this man’s services
to the county. The data relative to the flood of last December could also be
secured. Many flood marks have been obliterated, but many are still available
and the material should be gathered as soon as possible. The committee recommended that the
county commissioners take steps to arrange with the geological survey for the
services of this expert, and that he be put to work at once. The
commissioners expressed a belief that this would be a good move and will
endeavor to have the survey made at once. Considerable data on the Skagit River has been assembled in past years
by the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific railroads by the war
department and the geological survey, and all this data will be assembled and
made available for use during the survey.
|
Flood Survey
The man Mr.
Parker was talking about was James E. Stewart. His services were
“tendered” to the County.
“Considerable
data on the Skagit
River has been
assembled in past years by the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific
railroads by the war department and the geological survey, and all this data
will be assembled and made available for use during the survey.” Part of this “data” had to
include Mr. Stewarts work in 1918 which was never mentioned in his final
“preliminary report” in 1923. (See Stewart
Report, Stewart Report Appendix; James
E. Stewart Reflector Bar Notes)
See
also 11/9/22
Argus.
|
11/23/22
Argus
|
To Investigate
River Control
Large Party Will Go to Tacoma From Here December 1st and 2nd.
A large delegation of Skagit
County citizens will go to Tacoma Friday and Saturday, December 1 and 2 to inspect
the control work of the Puyallup
River there.
…Mr. [W.J.] Roberts is chief engineer of the project. His letter
follows:
“Your question, ‘How much of
the work on this small stream would be applicable to our very much larger
river?’ My answer would be: All of it. That is, the three
features which we most particularly emphasize, river clearing, channel
dredging and bank protection, would apply with the same emphasis to the
Skagit river as they apply to the White and Puyallup rivers.”
|
We
actually had a flood control committee that was involved. See 12/7/22
article on the “large delegation” that went.
|
11/23/22
CT
|
engineer is hired
for river survey
The county commissioners this week employed
Mr. Stewart, a government engineer, to make a survey of the Skagit
river. Mr. Stewart’s salary is $250 a month, which will be paid
out of the money to be raised by the 1 mill levy for river improvement.
The new engineer is from the government office in Seattle, and is working under government
orders. His work here will be under the supervision of the county
engineer’s office. He is already at work testing the river and
tributary streams for their flow and volume of water carried, and other data
needed to determine flood remedies.
|
James E. Stewart
Skagit County paid Mr. Stewart directly therefore
the County technically owns his work product. See 11/20/22
Argus article.
|
11/30/22
Argus
|
Are You Going to
Make Trip?
H.L. Willis Urges
Skagit County to Learn of Flood
Control.
We in Skagit
county are facing a similar but larger problem. For the past ten days
the county has had an engineer from the U.S. Geological Survey at work on the
upper Skagit near Concrete assembling data
on the volume of last December’s flood. The object is to
determine how much water came down upon us last December. For it is
evident that we could make no adequate plans for taking care of any flood
unless we knew about how much water was to be taken care of. When this
new data of our recent flood is secured, all the other data on the flow and
flood of the Skagit
River will be assembled
from their various sources. The general plan then seems to be to place
all this data in the hands of a competent engineer and ask him to submit a
comprehensive plan for the control of our river. If it seems necessary,
this plan could be submitted to consulting engineers for their approval or
rejection. When we get this far it will be up to the people of the
county or the flooded area to determine what next shall be done. Then
we shall have an authoritative, comprehensive plan under which not only we
local people can work but which we can present with effect to the state or
the U.S.
government when we go to them for help. But let us never forget that we
will get no help worth while from any source until we show that we are worthy
of some help by beginning to help ourselves.
Every man or woman in Skagit county who is
interested in the control of our Skagit river floods is not only invited but
urged to go with this Skagit county delegation to Tacoma next Friday, December
1. … Let everyone remember that the only credentials he or
she needs to become a delegate to this convention is an interest in the
control of the Skagit river. Come, and
get ready to give the old Skagit a wallop
before he wallops us once too many.
H.R. Willis,
Chairman River Committee
|
Stewart’s field notes did not start
until November 24, 1922. Skagit
County paid Stewart
directly, not USGS. According to Commissioners Journal, December 4,
1922 Skagit paid Stewart $91.67 for his
salary, and $291.85 for expenses from the River Improvement Fund.
Skagit paid Stewart again
on February 5, 1923, $250 for his salary and $60.03 for expenses.
Referred to him as the “River Engineer”.
On March 5, 1923 Skagit
paid Stewart $1.46 for expenses.
Since Skagit County paid Stewart directly
and had no formal contract with USGS, and all his work to be done under
the supervision of the County Engineer, this technically makes him an
employee of Skagit County not USGS. Skagit
should own his work product.
|
12/7/22
Argus
|
Learn More of
Flood Control
Skagit County Delegation
Visits Puyallup
River Project in Tacoma
On Saturday the party viewed the actual
work on the Puyallup
river under the direction of Mr. Roberts and Mr. Phillips, the
engineers. It was shown that the cost of this project has already
reached a million dollars.
|
23 men went on the trip. Most from Mt. Vernon,
5 from Burlington,
1 from LaConner and one from Allen.
|
12/7/22
Argus
|
Litigation Over
Drainage Ends
The litigation over the formation of
Drainage district No. 19 which has extended over a period of six years has
been ended. … District No. 19 takes in more than 6500
acres.
|
6
years to form a Drainage District.
|
12/14/22
Argus
|
Hadley Asks For
River Data
Committee in Congress Will Hear About Skagit Floods From Statistics
Saturday, W.R. Fowler, president of the
commercial club, J.W. Collins, secretary, Freed Ornes
and H.L. Willis sent what available data there was ready concerning the
amount of damage that that had been done in past years by the high
water. These men are now compiling statistics concerning the commercial
use of the river from years ago. These are being brought up to date and
will be forwarded to Mr. Hadley.
|
|
12/21/22
Argus
|
Send Flood Data to
Cong. Hadley
Figures Show Enormous Loss in Damage and
Cost of Protection Against the River
J.W. Collins on Saturday mailed to
Congressman Lin H. Hadley available data on flood damage from the Skagit river. This data although not as complete
as was desired, gives some convincing figures of the amount of water that has
come down the Skagit in flood periods.
Mr. Collins secured information from J.E. Stewart, an engineer who has been
working for the past week or so collecting figures on past floods and their
damage. He is working under the direction of the board of county
commissioners. . . . Other information was secured from H.A. Herzog,
chief engineer of the Great Northern; J.M. Clapp, of general engineering
practice; H.L. Willis, chairman of the citizens’ committees; Capt. F.A.
Siegel, of the U.S. snagboat, Swinomish; Frank Gilkey, county engineer; Judge Augustus Brawley, Auditor
Walter Barrow and Assessor W.H. Whitney.
The report to Mr. Hadley first gives
figures of flood periods as shown by the government station near
Sedro-Woolley from 1908 and 1918, exclusive of 1909 and 1917. The
station was discontinued in 1918. This shows four freshets came in
November, two in June, one in January, one in April.
Mr. Stewart has obtained proof that this
valley was visited by a flood in 1861 and there are figures for the fall
freshet of 1894, 1896, 1897, 1906 and on up to 1921. The flood of 1909
was the largest flood of recent time.
…
As to the probable recurrence, the report
states, “Engineers who are familiar with river control problems state
that a history of any stream for a period of eighty to a hundred years will
give reasonable data as to the probable events of the succeeding hundred year
period.
The report shows that the twenty-one diking
districts which take in approximately forty thousand acres of land.
“There has been,” it states, an expenditure up to and including
the year 1921, of $1,087,779 by the organized districts for flood
control. There has also been expended by individuals and co-operative
individuals not regularly incorporated an additional $900,000 bring the total
expenditures for the flood protection by the residents of the Skagit Delta to
the staggering total of $1,987,799.
The report tells of filling up of the Skagit at the mouth, which it says will force the
abandonment of the diking system for protection. It states the South
fork channel has filled 16 feet in twenty-nine years.
|
Would be interesting to secure this
“report”. Appears that Stewart gave him some figures.
The fact that “He is working under the direction of the board of
county commissioners” further substantiates that Skagit
owns his work product.
This confirms that Skagit County
had the Herzog report recommending the Avon By-Pass. Somewhere in the
archives there must be a copy of what Willis submitted. We have to
obtain this. It will show what Stewart submitted.
Stewart wrote the following in his field
notes about the 1861 flood: “all these lead to the assumption
that the great flood was that of December 4, 1861.
The old Indian who told Hart and others at Sedro Woolley in 1879 that the
flood was when he was a boy either referred to another flood or they did not
understand him.” (Source: Transcription of Stewart
“flood notes” on 9/16/22 by USGS 6/30/23 re Reflector Bar near
Marblemount) This was the only time the “1861”
flood was ever mentioned.
This means Dike Districts spent 2 million
in 26 years. Local cost of Avon By-Pass in 1936 was only 1 million.
16
feet in 29 years?? South Fork used to be pretty deep. Wonder
where all that sand goes now.
|
12/23/22
C.H.
|
congress takes up
flood control of the skagit
river
Congressman Lin H. Hadley has written the
Mt. Vernon Commercial club that the proper committee of congress would take
up the consideration of flood control of the Skagit River
within the next few days. The committee now has under consideration problems
of similar kind affecting the Mississippi river and its tributaries, and as
soon as study of these streams is concluded, the Skagit
will be next in order. Comprehensive data regarding the river and flood
conditions in the valley have already been filed with Congressman Hadley and
will be presented by him at the hearings before the committee.
|
Flood Control
Skagit playing
second fiddle to Mississippi. One has to wonder what
“comprehensive data” was presented since Mr. Stewart had just
began his survey 4 weeks before this article was printed.
|
1/5/23
MVDH
|
Committee Has Skagit River
Flood Data
Following is a letter received by J. W. Collins, secretary of the Mount
Vernon Commercial Club in reply to the Skagit flood data sent to Congressman
Lindley H. Hadley recently:
I have received your
letter of the 17th instant enclosing separate communication
furnishing requested data in the matter of the Skagit River
flood control. . . . I appeared personally before the Flood
Control Committee on December 14th in support of my bill, H. R.
12609. . . . When I appeared before the committee, one member of
long experience in Congress suggested that I get in touch with General Taylor
of the War Department on the question of the probable cost of the survey, as
sought by the bill…
|
Congressman Seeks
Study of Skagit
River
|
1/11/23
Argus
|
Flood Control Data
Presented
Congressman Hadley Gives
Skagit River Figures to
Committee
I took the data you enclosed to the office
of the Flood Control committee this morning and presented it to the chairman.
|
Perhaps the Federal Archives will have the
Willis report Congressman Hadley received.
|
1/11/23
Argus
|
River Hearing In Seattle Jan. 22
War Department Asks for Information on
Puget Sound Waterways
“Information is especially desired as
to the improvements proposed by local interests; the amount of present and
prospective commerce; and the draft and tonnage of vessels using these
rivers.”
|
Corps
wanted more information from locals.
|
1/11/23
Argus
|
Steelheads Are
Plentiful
Word has been received at the game
warden’s office that 20,000,000 sockeye eggs have been placed in the
streams of Puget Sound. This has been
done in recent weeks in an attempt to re-stock local waters with this
fish. The regular game fishing season in Skagit
waters opens April 15, and closes November 30.
|
Article didn’t say how many were
planted in the Skagit. Interesting
that Skagit fishing season was only April
through November.
|
1/18/23
CT
|
river problems to be discussed soon at seattle meeting --
federal engineer to hold hearing jan. 22 -- skagit county
river committee meets;
will make recommendations to legislators at once
The problem of taming the Skagit river is
too big a proposition for Skagit county or for the State of Washington, the county river committee
decided last week. Consequently the committee passed a resolution
urging the Skagit members of the state legislature to memorialize congress
for help in controlling the Skagit
river. . . . The Skagit river
committee urged the employment of an engineer of national reputation on river
data and to suggest a feasible plan to control the river. The federal
field engineer is busily at work collecting data but has not made his
official report.
|
River Problems Too
Big For Locals
Engineer the article is talking about is
James E. Stewart.
|
1/23/23
C.H.
|
flood problems of skagit river
will come up at seattle
The committee which has had charge of the
investigation of plans for controlling floods in the Skagit River has found
that the problem is too large for Skagit county, or even the state, to tackle
alone. Consequently the committee passed a resolution at a meeting held this
week urging the legislature to memorialize congress for federal aid in
solving the Skagit
River flood
proposition. … The Skagit River
committee urged the employment of an engineer of national reputation on river
data to suggest a feasible plan to control the river and eliminate the annual
danger of heavy damages in the valley from floods. The federal field engineer
has been busily at work securing data but has not made any official report
yet.
|
Flood Control
Flood problem too
big for Skagit County. County wanted to hire engineer of
“national reputation” to control and eliminate the annual danger
of flood damages.
|
1/25/23
Argus
|
Show Tonnage at
River Meet
Skagit Citizens Ready with Figures for U.S.
War Department
The problems of the Skagit river were given
a hearing Monday afternoon in the Seattle Chamber of Commerce before Col.
Edward H. Schultz, representing the War Department of the United States.
… H.L. Willis presented the report which had been prepared to
show the tonnage figures on the Skagit river
and also gave other valuable information. He stated that the farm
products originating in this county could be estimated annually at 50,000
tons of oats, 30,000 tons of hay, 12,000 tons of potatoes, 18,000 tons of
straw, and 10,000 tons of general farm products.
He declared that if the Skagit
river was cleared of all obstructions an increased amount of tonnage could be
handled each year. …
J.W. Collins, secretary of the Mt. Vernon
Commercial Club, pointed out various phases in the written report given
Colonel Schultz and spoke on the matter of dredging the lower end of the
river.
Capt. H.H. McDonald, pioneer of Skagit river navigation, gave some interesting figures
relative to the filling up of the channel from the mouth of the river.
He stated that he had built several boats during the past years and each one
had been constructed with a more shallow draft than the one previous in order
that it might get up the river from the Sound. He stated that he had
now reached the limit on this form of construction. …
Those who attended the hearing from this
county included H.L. Willis, J.W. Collins, J.O. Rudene,
W.E. Moss, B.D. Moody, J.B. Hayton, George B. Reay, W.H. Franklin, Swan Swanson, Charles Nelson,
Charles Elde. C.C. Callahan, of Burlington, also
attended the hearing.
|
Interesting farm history.
Appears that dredging was primary recommendation.
|
2/24/23
C.H.
|
fish hatchery man
has exciting trip to lake
Seth Meadows, who is employed at the Baker lake fish hatchery, made the trip to the lake
last Friday, just following the snow storm, and had an exciting time before
he reached his destination. He left Concrete in the forenoon on a saddle
horse and leading two pack horses. He made the trip easily until some
distance beyond the ranger station on the Baker River,
when he found the trail filled by snow slides and traveling difficult. When
he reached the 15-mile board he was compelled to unpack and leave his pack
horses and continue with his saddle horse, alternately riding and
walking. When he had gone a
short distance farther he ran into a heavy slide and in digging a trail
through the horse broke away and in some way went over the bank into the
canyon. As it was quite dark at that time, he could not see what became of
the horse, but naturally concluded that it had been killed, so went on foot
until he reached a forestry service cabin, where he camped for the night,
walking on in to the lake
Saturday morning.
Meanwhile his non-arrival caused uneasiness among the crew at the lake, and
after several telephone messages along the line, searching parties were
formed and covered a part of the trail. After a good rest Meadows was none
the worse for his trip; the horse presumed killed managed to get back on the
trail and was found Saturday, unhurt, so no damage was done. However, Meadows
is not anxious to make the trip again after a heavy fall of snow.
|
Baker Lake Fish
Hatchery
Travel by horseback
to fish hatchery was very dangerous.
|
3/10/23
C.H.
|
frank gilkey resigns as skagit county engineer
Frank Gilkey,
engineer of Skagit
County, handed in his
resignation to the county commissioners Wednesday. The resignation was
accepted and the board immediately appointed Robert E. Knapp, chief deputy
under Mr. Gilkey, as engineer to serve out the
unexpired term. Mr. Gilkey has just completed one
term as engineer and was elected last November for another four year term. He
will enter the towing business with his brothers and will have charge of the
Vancouver, B. C., office of the firm.
Mr. Knapp is an Anacortes man and has been chief deputy for the past
two years. He is a competent engineer and is qualified to handle the work of
the office to the satisfaction of all concerned. He does not expect to make
any changes in the office staff at this time.
|
County Engineer Resigns
See Robert
E.L. Knapp, Skagit County Engineer, Testimony for 11/26/1924 Hearing.
|
3/29/23
Argus
|
Flood Control Bill is Drawn
Skagit
River Included in Congressional Committee’s Report
The
bill contains an appropriation of $4,000. …
A BILL
Authorizing preliminary
examinations and surveys of sundry streams with a view to the control of
their floods.
|
Congressman’s efforts led to 1925
Corps of Engineers Report. SKAGIT RIVER, WASH., PE by Col. W.J.
Barden, Corps of Engineers {published as House Document #125, 69th
Congress, 1st Session} which resulted in a recommendation of
“national benefits are insufficient to justify the U.S. in undertaking
such work (flood improvements) either alone or in conjunction with local
interests, but are sufficient to justify cooperation by U.S. to the extent of
securing the necessary data” (i.e. study it). First study dealing
just with floods.
|
6/16/23
C.H.
|
preliminary work on baker lake road started this
week
There will be a passable road from Concrete
to Baker Lake before the end of this year,
according to plans of the government forestry service. … It is understood that the terminus of
the road to be built this year is near the hot springs, across the lake from the fish
hatchery. … The present plan is to build a
passable road nine feet wide, with turnouts at convenient points, the road to
be widened and otherwise improved later when more funds are available and
more data at hand as to amount of the traffic the road will have to
stand. … It will be necessary for Skagit county
to build about two miles of road from the end of the present road at Bear
creek to the boundary of the forest reserve, and plans are now being made to
open up this piece of road, so as to have it ready for use by the time the
highway in forest reserve is under construction.
|
Baker
Lake Road
Fish Hatchery
located across the lake from the hot
springs.
|
9/27/23
MVDH
|
Survey Work On River To Be Continued
The Skagit River Improvement committee, H.L. Willis, chairman, called upon
the board of county commissioner’s yesterday afternoon and urged a
one-mill levy to cover the costs of a survey of the Skagit
river. The purpose of this levy would be to procure data to submit in
an effort to secure federal aid. . . . James E. Stewart, expert
engineer from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, has just completed a survey
of the volume of water which went down the river in the flood of 1921.
The river committee is now planning to have an expert engineer make a survey
and present his findings to the government, in the hope of securing federal
aid. This expense will be carried by drawing on the $20,000 fund.
It is likely that it may require all of this amount to meet the expense of
the survey.
|
Flood Committee
Wants Study of Skagit
River
This is further indication that James E.
Stewarts work product was unsatisfactory. See testimony
of public hearing 11/26/24.
See also Argus and Courier Times articles
on this subject.
|
9/27/23
Argus
|
Discuss River
Problems Here
Two Committees Meet With The Board Of County Commissioners
The delegations asked that the board again
include in the budget a 1-mil levy for river protection purposes, but were
told that it was too late to include this in the budget for 1924.
…
E. Van Buren, chairman of the board, said
that the board had discussed the Skagit River question when the budget was
being prepared but as there was still about $20,000 in the fund created, the
board decided there was no further action to be taken, as they had
received no report of the survey work made by an engineer named Stewart.
The commissioners hired Stewart when the fund was created by the 1-mil levy.
|
HAD NOT RECEIVED REPORT FROM STEWART.
|
9/27/23
CT
|
county board
leaves levy for river work out of new budget -- river committee
and mt. vernon citizens protest omission of mill levy in budget for 1924;
budget to be adopted at hearing monday of next week; current expense fund
levy is less than last year
The county commissioners in adopting a preliminary
budget for county expenses omitted the mill levy raised last year about
$22,000 to be used for river survey work and preliminary work toward solving
the problem of flood protection on the Skagit
river. The county river committee, of which H.L. Willis acted as
spokesman, together with a delegation from the Mt. Vernon Commercial club,
waited on the commissioners on Wednesday and made an effort to get a mill
levy included in the budget, before it comes up for final hearing and passage
on Monday of next week, October 1. . . . Mr. Van Buren stated
that the commissioners felt that with $20,000 from the amount levied last
year, still available, that there was no need for an additional mill levy
this year, to add more money to the fund. He said that about $2,000 was
spent last year for the federal government engineer who made a flood survey
of the river some time ago, after the big flood. Mr. Stewart, the
engineer has not yet submitted his detailed report to the
commissioners. The reason for this, it was explained, was that he
resigned from government service soon after finishing his work on the Skagit river, and had been employed by a private firm
in the east. He has been making out his report as rapidly as he could
under the circumstances. Mr. Willis asked the commissioners to employ a
competent engineer to prepare detailed plans for the best way of handling a
flood control scheme. The county, when it has a definite plan to
submit, will then be in a position to ask for federal aid, he said. . .
. The commissioners took no action in the river matter, except to say
that they could not include an additional one mill levy at this time.
|
Commissioners Leave
Flood Control Out of Budget
No report from Stewart was given as
justification.
Based on documents obtained from NARA it is believed that Skagit County
received Stewarts report in October, 1923. It is known that the CT had
his report in December 1923. See 12/20/23 CT article.
|
9/29/23
C.H.
|
flood survey work
in skagit valley will be continued
The Skagit River Improvement committee, of
which H. L. Willis is chairman, met with the county commissioners Wednesday
and urged that the one mill levy for flood control survey on the Skagit River be continued. … James E. Stewart, an expert government
engineer, has just completed a survey of the volume of water that went down
the river in the big flood of 1921, and the committee is now planning on
securing an expert river engineer to make a survey to determine how this
water could best be controlled and present his findings to the government in
hopes of securing federal aid.
… The movement for
planning some way to control the flood waters of the Skagit river was started
immediately after the flood of 1921, and judging by the progress made on the
work since that time, it is likely
that there will be several more big floods during the years that will pass
before any work is started on the main project..
|
Flood Control
Survey
Stewart had completed his work however the County
as of the printing of this article still did not have it. See 9/27/23
Argus.
|
11/20/23
MVDH
|
Engineering Department Announces River Hearing In Mount Vernon, Nov. 30
The War Department of the United States engineering office, through W. J.
Barden, colonel of the engineering corps, located at Seattle, has issued a
notice of public hearing to be held in Mount Vernon, at the Commercial Club
rooms, on Friday, November 30, at seven o’clock in the forenoon, at
which time the Skagit river project will come up for discussion in all its
phases. . . . The information especially desired by the engineering
department, as combined in the special notice, calls for the following
particular data and facts:
- Character of
improvements desired
- Names of
vessels now using the waterway with draft and tonnage of each
- Amount and
character of present commerce. . . .
|
Corps of Engineers
Public Hearing
|
11/22/23
Argus
|
River Hearing
Friday, Nov. 30
War Department Seeks Information on
Improvement of Skagit
A public hearing will be held in the Mount
Vernon Commercial Club rooms at 11 o’clock Friday forenoon, November
30, for the purpose of obtaining the views of interested parties in regard to
the preliminary examination of the Skagit
river. This announcement was made through the Argus today by the War
Department of the United
States.
|
Corps
wanted all comments to be submitted in writing.
|
11/20/23
MVDH
|
Engineering Department Announces River Hearing In Mount Vernon, Nov. 30
The War Department of the United States engineering office, through W. J.
Barden, colonel of the engineering corps, located at Seattle, has issued a
notice of public hearing to be held in Mount Vernon, at the Commercial Club
rooms, on Friday, November 30, at seven o’clock in the forenoon, at
which time the Skagit river project will come up for discussion in all its
phases. . . . The information especially desired by the
engineering department, as combined in the special notice, calls for the
following particular data and facts:
- Character of
improvements desired
- Names of
vessels now using the waterway with draft and tonnage of each
- Amount and
character of present commerce. . . .
|
Corps of Engineers
Public Hearing
|
11/30/23
MVDH
|
Skagit River
Hearing Today
Over one hundred citizens and farmers gathered at the Commercial Club rooms
today in attendance at the river hearing under the direction of the United States
war department. . . . No time was lost in getting the hearing
underway. H. L. Willis represented the local river committees. He
spoke at length regarding the need of immediate and permanent river
improvement. . . . At the conclusion of the hearing, Col. Barden
reviewed the situation, touching upon past floods, going back as far as
1815. He stated that the government does not consider the matter of
river floods, but considers matters of this kind, from a strictly navigation
standpoint.
|
Corps Concerned
With River Navigation Only
Proof that the Corps had Stewarts report by
November 1923. See 11/26/24 minutes as to what Colonel
Barden thought about Stewart Report a year after this meeting.
|
12/4/23
MVDH
|
Need of River Improvement For Deep River Navigation
Becomes Growing Necessity
As to the character of the improvement desired, we may say in general that we
want free and impeded access to the sea, in order that our rapidly increasing
commerce may fully enjoy the advantages which our location very near salt
water should give us. . . . We are a community of farmers and
have not the skill or knowledge of hydraulic engineers. What we suggest
therefore, in the absence of expert determination, is a result of our
experience with the Skagit
River for the past
twenty-five years. The stoppage to navigation is caused by the
formation of bars and the lodging of snags either at the mouth of the stream
or along its source higher up. These same causes raise the bed of the
stream and dam up the water during flood, increasing the high water
menace. It seems to us therefore, that a free and open channel to the
sea as well as the lessening of flood danger would both be accomplished by
the prosecution of three general lines of work. First, beginning at deep
salt water, two rock jetties should be built to the mouth of the river.
. . . The second line of work must consist of removing the
accumulations which now obstruct navigation. . . . The third line
of work should be directed toward lessening the burden of silt and drift
carried by the river. . . . To date all improvements have been
with the idea of flood control alone. Thus there has been expended up
to the year 1922, but not including that year, the sum of $1,987,799.10 for
dikes and drainage ditches. These dikes have not attained the object
for which they were built as during each flood of any magnitude they fall to
confine the stream and are broken in numerous places. Since the 1921
flood there has been some attempt made to take up this river problem along
comprehensive lines covering both phases. There is at present a
considerable sentiment among the residents and tax-payers of Skagit County in favor of forming an
improvement district covering all the territory threatened by the river and
adopting some plan for dredging and widening the channel… . .
. A very conservative estimate of farm production over a period of
years indicates that approximately 50,000 tons of oats, 30,000 tons of hay,
12,000 tons of potatoes, 18,000 tons of straw, and 10,000 tons of general
farm products originate in this valley annually. . . . Timber
Shipments The annual timber shipments approach the imposing figure
at 300,000,000 feet. . . . Navigation Now Difficult It
is a matter of common knowledge that the Skagit
is one of the great commercial waterways of the Northwest. . . .
But it is also a fact and a matter common knowledge that the entrance to this
waterway is rapidly becoming blocked by bars and obstructions so that at the
present rate of filling a very few more years will see the South Fork of the
river entirely closed to navigation. Capt. F. A. Siegel of the
U.S. Snagboat “Swinomish” has filed a
statement with the Board of Commissioners of Skagit County in which he
alleges that twenty-nine years ago when he started to navigate the river it
was difficult to find bottom with a pike pole at any point in the South Fork
between Mount Vernon and Puget
Sound. The bottom of the river has now filled to such an
extent that at low tide only small boats or skiffs can travel the
channel. There has apparently been a filling in for almost the entire
length of the South Fork of some 16 to 18 feet. This condition can only
be remedied by dredging.
|
Testimony At Corps
Public Hearing
Navigation hindered by formation of bars
and lodging of snags. Free and open channel to the sea desired.
Recommended two rock jetties be built at
mouth of river.
Dike and drainage districts spent
$1,987,799.10 up to and including 1921.
Dikes did not obtain purpose for which they
were built.
Wanted to dredge and widen channel.
29 years ago (1894) couldn’t find
bottom of Skagit with a “pike
pole” in the South Fork. Bottom of river now filled 16 to 18
feet.
Levees did not start being built along the
forks of the Skagit
River until 1883.
(See J.O. Rundene Testimony,
11/26/24.) Clearly the argument could be made that the sediment being
deposited in the channel was a result of the levees being placed on the edge
of the river as the sediment used to flow out onto the floodplain.
|
12/4/23
MVDH
|
Editorial: Need of River Improvement For Deep
River Navigation Becomes Growing Necessity
At the hearing held by the United States
engineering staff at the Commercial Club rooms last Friday, much data was
submitted showing why the Skagit river
should be improved. . . . Past experiences have shown exclusively
that it takes a long time to get that little ball of red tape unwound, and
then when it is unwound, so much of the financial aid which is supposed to
mean so much is generally spent in minor red tape details, that the actual
amount is reduced to such an extent that it is of little or no particular
use; at any rate it becomes so reduced that the amount left is of little or
no consequence. . . . The Daily Herald herewith reproduces
extracts from the volume of data submitted at the hearing last Friday.
It is important information and shows conclusively that the improvement of
the Skagit River is an absolute necessity.
|
Improvement Of Skagit River Is Absolute Necessity
|
12/6/23
Argus
|
Get Figures At
River Hearing
Skagit County Men Show Need of Improving the Skagit River
Col. W.J. Barden, of the United States
Engineer’s office in Seattle,
was chairman of the hearing. A report prepared by the Skagit County
River committee, and
signed by H.L. Willis, of the committee,…
George B. Reah,
county commissioner, emphasized the need for protecting the farmer from high
water stating that the last high water had cost the county $100,000.
C.C. Nelson also stated that this high water had cost Diking District No. 3,
$24,000. Other talks on the need of flood protection were made by J.O. Rudene and W.J. Knutzen. …
Mr. Willis declared there were 120,000 tons
or 8,000 car loads of farm products shipped by boat from this valley each
year and that the dairy products alone were valued at more than two million
dollars while the products of the seed growers would reach $200,000.
J.M. Humphrey stated the dairymen’s plants shipped 8600 tons by boat in
the first 11 months this year and that the dairy products shipped during 1923
would easily reach two and a half million dollars.
Captain McDonald said he planned to put on
a larger boat and give daily service between Skagit points and Seattle. James O’Hearne, who said no represented the Tom Moore
Booming company, gave 96 million feet of logs as the tonnage of his company
last year. He urged the clearing of the South Fork of the river at the
shingle mills to the south needed an outlet badly. …
In closing Col. Barden stated that the
proposed dredging at the mouth of the river would be expensive and that this
work would have to be kept up from year to year. He stated the high
water in the past had been caused by the contraction of the river at the
bridges and that the present system of dikes had also caused more contraction
of the stream. The colonel also stated that the federal government at
present was making no provision for flood control except on the Mississippi and the Sacramento rivers, and that the
engineer’s office was confined entirely to navigation problems and that
the hearing here would be considered only from that standpoint.
… The opinion seemed to prevail that if protection against high
water in the Skagit river was to be secured
it must come from the county and state and not from the federal government.
The committee urged the building of jetties
at the mouth of the river and the dredging of the river.
|
Willis report was located and is published
in its entirety. (See 11/26/24)
Farming history.
Logging history.
Dredging mouth of river.
Bridge corridor needed widening.
Levee needed to be setback.
Navigational problems only concern of
Corps.
This is what final study in 1925
stated. Think their minds were made up before study was done?
Jetties and dredging.
|
12/13/23
C.H.
|
seattle
plant at newhalem not to be ready this year
Although the contract for the construction
of the huge power project for the city of Seattle on the upper Skagit river
provides that the plant shall be ready for operation by January 1, 1924,
present indications are that the project will not be completed before next
summer, and it may be even later before electric current can be transmitted
to Seattle. It is reported that delays have occurred in all parts of the
work, and there is considerable controversy between the contractors and the
engineers for the city as to who is responsible for the delay. … The tunnel for the Gorge creek plant
was to have been completed, according to the contract, about two months ago,
but it will be at least a month yet before this job is finished, and other
parts of the work are at about the stage. Practically all the machinery for
the huge power plant is now on the ground and is being installed as rapidly
as buildings and foundations are ready. It was planned to transmit current
from the new plant to Seattle
by New Year’s Day, but all hopes of this have been abandoned and about
the best that is expected now is to have the plant in operation by June 1.
|
Gorge Dam
|
12/13/23
C.H.
|
much timber cut in
national forest during past year
According to a report filed by Robt. L. Campbell, forest supervisor, the total sales of
timber from the Washington national forest,
located in Skagit and Whatcom counties,
during the past year were 68,118,000 board feet, valued at $117,589. The
reports show that there is over 10 billion feet of timber left in the forest,
consisting principally of fir, cedar and hemlock. … The Newby & Mitchell bolt camp,
located on the extreme upper Skagit
River, has been closed
down after cutting 900 cords the past season. A D. Long has cut about 350
cords of cedar bolts, the timber of which was killed in the forest fire of
1922. … The prices on these different sales
depend on the quality and location of the timber, ranging from 50 cents a
cord for jam and drift cedar to $4 a thousand for cedar logs. It is also stated
that 25 per cent of the proceeds of all timber sold from the reserve goes to
the county road and school funds of the counties in which timber is located.
During the past five years Whatcom County has received $20,000 and Skagit
county $12,000 from these sales..
|
Logging History
61 million board
feet valued at $117,589. 10
billion board feet still left in forest.
Forest fire in 1922.
Skagit County had received $12,000 in last 5 years for road and school funds.
|
12/20/23
CT
|
report of engineer
gives a history of skagit river flood
James E. Stewart, government hydraulic
engineer employed about two years ago by Skagit county to investigate flood
conditions along the Skagit valley, has just submitted a report on his
findings of the “stage and volume of past floods in Skagit
valley and advisable protective measures prior to the construction of
permanent flood controlling works.” The report is as
comprehensive as possible going back to the floods told of by the Indians in
1815. It is too long to publish in detail, but this article will give
some of the main ideas embodied in Mr. Stewarts findings. “Since
the arrival of the first white people about 1869,” says Mr. Stewart,
“there have been six Skagit river
floods whose discharge has exceeded 175,000 second feet at
Sedro-Woolley. All of these floods have occurred since Nov. 15,
1896. The number of floods that exceeded 175,000 second-feet at
Sedro-Woolley prior to 1869 is unknown, but the occurrence of two great
floods has been discovered. The exact dates of these early floods are
not known, but their stages and volumes have been accurately
determined. . . . Then follows data on the floods, taken at
various places along the river. The data shows that the floods of 1921
was the second largest since 1856, in Sedro-Woolley, the 1909 flood reaching
26.5 feet on the gage and 1921 flood, 24.3 feet. . . . In the
light of knowledge of past floods it seems likely, says Mr. Stewart that
floods like those of 1917 and 1921 may occur
within the next five or six years. . . . The writer will
make several suggestions as to inexpensive measures that should be carried
out in the near future. They may be briefly outlined ass follows;
install a flood warning system, delay diking off the Nookachamps district;
protect certain danger zones removing drift from river channel below Hamilton and possibly near Lyman, and build protective
dikes at Burlington and possibly Mt. Vernon;
obtain additional hydrographic data; form a conservancy
district.” Mr. Stewart gives data showing that rainfall for the
two largest floods since data has been kept is much the same. At the Skagit power camp in 1909 for Nov. 28 and 29, the
rainfall for the two days was 7.85 inches. At the Davis ranch on Dec. 11 and 12, 1921, the
rainfall was 7.62 inches, while the maximum temperature in both cases was
about 52 degrees. . . . Mr. Stewart recommends a delay in diking
the Nookachamps district, as at present it acts as a storage reservoir during
floods and has prevented much damage. . . . Burlington,
he says is in danger from any size flood, and should be encircled by a dike,
as a correctly built dike around Burlington
would protect it against all floods. . . . Mr. Stewarts report
contains a mass of data collected at various places along the river, and
urges that many more of these stations be established. He says the
matter needs further study before any large flood prevention project is
undertaken, but that there is always a danger of a repetition of floods.
|
James E. Stewart
Mr. Stewart was hired in Nov. 1922. See
11/23/22 CT article.
“6 floods exceeded 175,000 cfs at
Sedro-Woolley since 1896.”
Clearly Mr. Stewart was using a different
datum then is being used today. USGS has subsequently added 21.06 ft to
Stewarts computations at S-W and 12.7 ft to Concrete. The reported
magnitude of these floods has not reoccurred for the past 80 years.
During the November 21 through 25, 1990
flood event 6 inches of rain fell at Marblemount, 15.5 inches of rain fell
at Reflector Bar, 11 inches of rain fell at Glacier on the Baker River
side and 11.3 inches of rain fell at Darrington on the Sauk River.
The regulated peaks of 146,000 cfs and 152,000 cfs at Concrete and Mount Vernon
respectively would have been 182,000 cfs and 180,000 cfs if left
unregulated. One has to ask that if Stewart and USGS computations
of the 1921 flood are to be believed, how did we end up with only 180,000 cfs
unregulated flow with 15.5 inches of rain at Reflector Bar, and Stewart and
USGS end up with 240,000 cfs and 225,000 cfs respectfully with only 10.21
inches of rain falling at Reflector Bar (Davis Ranch 7.6)? (Sources:
Flood Summary Report, Nooksack, Skagit and Snohomish River Basins,
November 1990 Events, Corps of Engineers, 7/18/91; (Stewart/Bodhaine Report,
Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1527, 1961)
|
12/27/23
C.H.
|
engineer’s report gives history of floods on skagit
James E. Stewart, government hydraulic
engineer, who was employed nearly two years ago by Skagit county to make a
survey of flood conditions along the Skagit River, has just submitted a
report on his findings on the stage and volume of past floods in the Skagit
Valley and advisable protective measures to be undertaken prior to the
construction of permanent flood controlling works. The report is comprehensive and goes
back to floods told of by Indians dating back as far as 1815. The report as a whole is interesting
to the people of the valley but is too long to publish in full.
“Since
the arrival of the first white people in the valley, about 1869,” says
Mr. Stewart, “there have been six Skagit
river floods whose discharge has exceeded 175,000 second feet at
Sedro-Woolley. All of these
floods have occurred since November 15, 1896. The number of floods that exceeded
175,000 second feet prior to 1869 is unknown, but the occurrence of two great
floods has been discovered, but their stages and volume have been accurately
determined. The maximum floods
which have occurred in the past have had about twice the discharge of the
flood of 1921.” Then
follows data on the floods taken at various places along the river. This data shows that the flood of 1921
was the second largest since 1869, being exceeded by that of 1909.
Data
shows that heavy floods have occurred in 1896, 1897, 1906, 1909, 1917 and
1921. The problem of climatic
conditions is being studied in hopes that the study will throw some light on
the frequency of certain sized floods in the past and future. Judging from past floods, Mr. Stewart
says that floods like those of 1917 and 1921 may be expected within the next
five or six years. … He suggested as inexpensive measures
that would prove beneficial the diking of the Nookachamps district, the
removal of drift from the river channel below Hamilton
and near Lyman and protective dikes at Burlington
and possibly at Mt.
Vernon.
|
James E. Stewart
Report
See 12/20/23
CT.
This article is
fraught with misleading statements:
Stewart was hired
in November 1922, (See 11/11/1922
C.H.) worked in Skagit County until March 1923 when he left for work at a
power company in Pennsylvania. Stewart had 1897 as being larger then
1909. He suggested
“delaying” the diking off of the Nookachamps which was done by
the County engineer in 1924. (See 11/26/24
Knapp Testimony)
|
1/17/24
C.H.
|
permit to divert baker river asked by power company
Further indications of the intention of the Stone &
Webster interests to immediately start the development of the power resources
of the Baker river valley were the application last week by the company for a
permit from the state to divert the waters of the river, and the further fact
that about 15 engineers and surveyors arrived in town last Thursday and left
the next day for the upper Baker to start preliminary work on the huge
project. … The application states that 65,000
horsepower of electricity is expected to be developed in the project. Work on the development, which will be
known as the Baker River Power Development, Eden site, will be started about September
30, 1926, if the permit is granted, according to the application. It is generally understood that the
Eden site is at the head of the Baker river canyon, about a half mile north
of town, and the application indicates that what is known as to be lower dam
is to be built first. If the dam
is built on this site, the power plant will likely be located in this city,
with a steel or concrete pipe line from the dam to the power plant.
|
Lower Baker River Dam
Surveyors and engineers began
arriving in Concrete.
Upper Baker Dam was not scheduled
to begin construction until September 30, 1926.
|
1/17/24
C.H.
|
start
work soon on diking project in skagit
county
Plans have recently been announced for the Padilla bay
diking project for the reclamation of about 9,000 rich land that is now
covered by water at high tide.
The project is said to be the biggest of the kind ever undertaken on
the Pacific coast. It is
estimated that it will cost approximately $1,300,000 and will require two
years’ time to complete.
The plans and specifications for the project have been approved by
government engineers and by the state department of conservation and
reclamation. Under the plans
drawn, it is proposed to build an enclosing dike eight miles long, from five
to 29 feet high, and 335 feet wide at the base, forming a sloping wall of
earth and brush from the south end of Hat Island, east of Anacortes,
northerly to Samish Island. The
plans also call for an inside dike about half the length of the outer dike,
extending from the east end of Samish
Island along the
low-lying mainland to the Leary slough, to protect the enclosed area from the
danger of flooding and streams.
There will also be a drainage basin running parallel to the outer dike
and just inside the wall.
… Padilla bay is declared by geologists to
have been the mouth of the Skagit river
generations ago. When the channel
changed, the old outlet was filled with alluvial mud. The land to be reclaimed is covered
with sea grass and is practically dry at low tide for a distance of about
three miles from the mainland.
|
Padilla Bay Diking Project
This is pretty amazing in
lieu of the 4/2/1921 C.H. article cited above. Dike
would have been 29 feet high and 335 feet wide.
Geologist declared that Padilla Bay
used to be the mouth of the river.
|
1/31/24
C.H.
|
power
officials confirm news that dam will be built
The news that work is to start at once on the
construction of the huge power project on the Baker River
by the Puget Sound Power & Light Co., a subsidiary of the Stone-Webster
Corporation, was confirmed last week by A. W. Leonard, president of the Puget
Sound Company. The Seattle Times
of last Sunday carried a long article in regard to the proposed dam, giving
many interesting details regarding its construction, and in the course of the
article Pres. Leonard is quoted as follows: “We are pleased to announce the
beginning of construction on this important unit of power development. We expect to be developing 30,000
horsepower of electrical energy at the Baker river plant by the end of next
year, and will install an additional turbine to bring the full capacity up to
48,000 horsepower.”
… The Puget Sound
Power & Light company operates a large number of power plants in the
western part of this state, and the Baker river power plant will the second
in point of capacity, being exceeded only by the White river plant, which is
now producing 61,662 horsepower.
However, the power company also has in contemplation a second dam on
the Baker River,
to be located at Sulphur
canyon, on the upper river, and when this is constructed; it will develop
nearly as much power as the main dam here. … The big dam will be located below the Superior railroad bridge across the Baker and as it
will be 225 feet high, it will put the railroad out of commission.
|
Lower Baker River Dam
Work to begin at once. Dam to be built 225 feet high. Actual construction did not start
until April 1, 1924. Construction
expected to be done by end of 1925.
|
2/14/24
CT
|
high water floods many parts of district; railroad
stopped
After several days of rain and Chinooks,
the river in all parts of the district, went over their banks in many places
on Tuesday. A stretch of some 150 feet of the Great Northern near Hamilton was washed out, and the town of Hamilton was cut off
from everything but telephone communication Tuesday morning. The bridge
over the slough at Hamilton
was washed out, and the bridge to the Lyman ferry at Lyman went down stream
Tuesday. At the unprotected places on the river near the town of Hamilton and Lyman, big
areas of land and trees were washed bodily into the river. In the Sterling district, families started moving out of
danger Tuesday afternoon. The old road to Burlington was covered, and lowlands
between Sedro-Woolley and the river were under water Tuesday afternoon.
. . . Big areas of land in the Burlington
and Sterling
districts were under water Tuesday, and also in the upper valley. All
sloughs along the Skagit river are covering
the adjacent land, and the river is filled with drifting trees and
debris. The river rose five feet Monday night. Tuesday night the
river rose several feet more, covering the road between the trestle and the river
bridge south of this city, and large areas of land. By Wednesday
morning the flood had reached its crest and had receded from the road this
side of the river. The Clear
Lake Road near the Eldred place was under some
four feet of water and impassable.
|
UNDOCUMENTED
FEBRUARY 12, 1924 FLOOD
Neither the Corps of Engineers or USGS
reported this flood event.
Flood was serious event in Hamilton
and Sterling.
Levees broke in Conway
and Burlington.
(See 2/14/24 Argus article)
|
2/4/24
MVDH
|
$6,000,000 in Giant Baker
River Electrical
Development
Water power development of the Pacific northwest will receive great impetus
in the announcement of the Puget Sound Power & Light company that it will
immediately begin the construction of a 45,000 horsepower hydro-electric
plant on the Baker River in Skagit
County, representing an
investment of $6,000,000. Foundations and approximately a depth of 50
feet of the dam are scheduled for completion this year and the entire work
will be finished in 1925 – regarded by engineers as remarkable speed
for the construction of such an important hydro-electric unit. . .
. The Baker
River is looked upon as
one of the most interesting electric generating installations in all the
northwest, so rich in water powers. . . . As it falls out of
Baker Lake it passes through Sulphur canyon
where there is a splendid potential development that will come as soon as
needful following the completion of the present installation at Eden canyon, twelve
miles below Sulphur canyon. Water from the impounding dam in these
canyons will create a lake approximately eight miles long and reaching almost
to the upper canyon. This lake will be 1600 acres in extent, storing
50,000 acre feet of water. . . . Next on the program of the Puget
Sound Power & Light company after the announced development on Baker
river probably will be the installation of a hydro-electric plant at Sulphur canyon almost as
large as that near Concrete. The waters of the Baker river will then be
utilized in two steps, the Sulphur
canyon site having not quite the same amount of water available due to the
fact that two or three tributaries flow into the Baker river between the two.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Amount would be approximately $64,000,000
in 2003 dollars according to Consumer Price Index adjusting for inflation.
|
2/14/24
MVDH
|
High Water Hits Lyman -- Ten Families Are Marooned
As an aftermath of the high water of the last few days, the upper Skagit people are experiencing much anxiety from
possible danger of landslides. This is particularly true of a small
group of ten families, who are marooned on a small island across the river
from Lyman, caused by the washing out of three bridges across the Skagit near Lyman, or their approaches. . .
. The Lyman bridge extending from that city to Day Creek, was carried
away Tuesday night, while the two bridges across Alder creek are rendered
useless for the present, owing to their approaches having been swept
away. . . . Several of the smaller homes within ten to twelve
feet of the river have been moved. Men are hauling spruce trees and
laying them along the river to prevent caving in of the land near the school
building, and steps to prevent loss are being taken by residents of Lyman.
|
UNDOCUMENTED FLOOD
See 2/14/24 CT and Argus articles.
First documented February flood.
|
2/14/24
Argus
|
Water Reaches Rim
of Skagit River
The stream nearly reached the flood stage
of 23 feet in 1921. A break in the dike on Fisher’s slough south
of Conway
caused the water to back up toward that town and over the Pacific
highway. Traffic however, was not impeded. Another break at Dry
Slough caused the water to start over Fir Island…
but not to any depth.
The outer dike near Burlington broke early yesterday morning
and would have gone through the secondary dike but for the quick action of
the residents in that neighborhood near Dr. Cleveland’s farm.
Reports from Hamilton state that 400 feet of
the Sedro-Woolley–Rockport highway and the Great Northern railway
right-of-way had been carried away into the Skagit
river by a landslide west of Sauk. …
This is the first time, according to old
residents of Mount Vernon that the flood
stage has been reached by the Skagit in the
month of February.
|
Amazing. This flood is not on
anybody’s radar. Not reported by USGS or Corps yet according to
this article almost as serious as 1921 at least in Mt. Vernon.
Dikes break in Conway
and Burlington.
Burlington
has “secondary dike”? They must have been talking about the
railroad grade.
First February flood.
|
2/14/24
C.H.
|
light damage done by flood waters in skagit valley
The residents of Concrete and other points
in the upper Skagit valley were surprised Tuesday morning to find the Skagit and Baker rivers running bank full and the waters
still rising, and in many instances preparations were quickly made for
meeting flood conditions of 1917 and 1921. However, the rise in the Skagit ceased about noon Tuesday and the waters have
gone down rapidly and the rivers in the upper valley are now almost down to
normal. … The Skagit at this point was bank full
and the low ground in East Concrete was overflowed, but Crofoot’s
addition on the west side of the Baker escaped the flood by two feet. Here the river lacked from eight to 10
feet of being up to the flood mark of 1921, but near Mt. Vernon
and at other points in the lower valley, it is reported that the river came
within two feet of reaching the 1921 mark. .. At Hamilton a considerable portion of the town
was overflowed but no great damage caused. Between Hamilton and Lyman several
bridges on the road went out and about 200 feet of track on the Great
Northern line was washed out.
… In the lower
valley there were no serious breaks in the dikes and the damage from the
flood was light.
|
UNDOCUMENTED FLOOD
See 2/14/24
MVDH, 2/14/24
Argus, on this flood.
River at Concrete was 8 to 10 feet less than 1921 flood.
|
3/6/24
C.H.
|
all work stopped on power project until board meets
All the men employed on construction of
camp buildings and other preliminary work on the Baker river dam project for
the Stone & Webster Co., except a small engineering crew, were laid off
yesterday until after the meeting of the board of directors of the
corporation, which will be held in Boston about March 15. No reason has been given out here for
the orders to stop work, as it was generally understood that the preliminary
work under way would be completed regardless of the action taken by the
directors on the actual construction of the dam and power plant this
year. … W. D. Shannon, general superintendent
of construction for the company, who has had personal supervision of the work
here, is now on his way to Boston
to present his data on the project to the directors at their meeting this
month. The people of Concrete are
anxiously awaiting word of the action taken at the Boston session, and if the report is
favorable, Concrete will be a lively town for the next few years.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Construction of
only the “camps” had started at this point. No work on the actual dam had begun.
|
3/20/24
Argus
|
Writes About Flood
Control
John Finstad of Conway Offers Material for Citizens’
Consideration
In recent years there has been some
agitation for the purposes of controlling the floodwaters of the Skagit river, but as time passes on after a disastrous
flood, the people of the valley easily forget that they ever had a flood,
until another comes along. Then they will have meetings for some time
figuring on dredging and straightening the channel, but in the end
nothings come out of it.
Not considering the disastrous summer
freshet in 1894 we have had six or seven fast winter freshets during the past
30 years. The highest one of these was the one of November 30, 1909,
when about eight inches of rain fell in two days at upriver points.
This flood measured about 220,000 second feet at Sedro-Woolley.
Competent engineers claim that only about 150,000 second feet can pass
through at the Riverside Great Northern bridge. Consequently about 70,000
second feet had to seek an outlet somewhere else. The February flood of
this year was not considered dangerous but still it destroyed half a dozen
homesteads at the Sauk delta and broke dikes at the Skagit
delta to the value of at least $20,000, besides destroying several bridges at
upriver points.
We have back in the mountains numerous
large basins and deep gulches and valleys. Undoubtedly places can be
found where a dam can be built equaling for storage purposes at least half a
cube mile. The Ruby dam of the Seattle hydroelectric project is to be
480 feet high creating a lake about 25 miles long and five miles wide in most
places Back of this dam the Skagit has a shed of about 1200 square
miles or a little more than one third of the whole basin of the Skagit and its
tributaries. Actual measurements at this dam site by U.S.G.S. shows the
minimum flow to be 800 second feet and the maximum 50,000 second feet during
12 years of observation up to 1923. Supposing the upper 20 feet of this
dam was reserved for flood control it would take care of the maximum flow of
50,000 for at least twelve days.
Stone & Webster are going to build a
dam across the Baker canyon back of Concrete in the near future. Here
another lake will be created up to six or seven miles long. If 20 feet
was reserved for flood control at this dam, Baker river would be eliminated
from any flood danger from that source.
|
Tremendous letter to newspaper.
Should be required reading for entire valley.
Hits nail right on the head.
These are Stewart’s figures.
Eight inches of rain would not produce 220,000 cfs at Sedro-Woolley.
Flow figures are same as ones used by Corps
and FEMA in 1979.
February flood “not serious: but yet
destroyed bridges and broke dikes. No record of this flood in federal
files.
Recognized dam storage at Ross. What
USGS measurements at dam site?
Recognized dam storage at Lower
Baker. Needed top 20 feet to be used for flood control.
|
3/27/24
C.H.
|
power company to continue work on baker river plant
The Stone & Webster Corporation has definitely
decided to proceed with the development of the Baker River
project, and the latest reports are that actual work towards building the
huge dam and power plant will be started next week. The men in charge of the preliminary
work at the camp and at the dam site have been notified to have everything in
readiness for a crew of 150 men by April 1, and the buildings are being
rushed, provisions, and supplies hauled in and other work hurried to
completion in order that the camp will be ready for the new men. … Dennis Winn of the United States
Bureau of Fisheries has filed a protest with the state against granting a
permit for the dam, claiming that it will put the Baker
lake fish hatchery out of commission. The Baker lake
hatchery is the only hatchery in the country handling sockeye salmon, and if
the fish are stopped from coming up the Baker river, the plant will be unable
to secure eggs for hatching. It
is believed that this matter will be adjusted at the hearing before the state
board next month.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Baker Fish Hatchery
Work to start on
dam by April 1st. U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service filed protest to building of dam due to impacts
on salmon runs and fish hatchery.
Baker Lake hatchery only one handling
sockeye salmon.
|
5/15/24
C.H.
|
power company is rushing work on new project here
The preliminary work on the huge power
project being constructed just north of town by the Stone & Webster
company has been going ahead rapidly for the past few weeks, and it seems
certain that actual construction work on the big dam and power plant will be
under way in the near future. At
the main camp on the hill a large number of carpenters and other workmen have
been steadily employed and there are now about 40 buildings at the camp of
various sizes, occupied as bunk houses, dwellings, offices of various kinds,
and other buildings needed to care for a large crew. A large warehouse has been built near
the site of the old Washington
steam plant, and a part of the steam plant has been enclosed for use as
additional storage space for supplies and equipment. … The largest job under way at this time
is the construction of a railroad along the east bank of the Baker River
from the old Washington
plant northerly to the site of the power plant just north of the camp. The railroad follows the bank of the
stream a few feet above the water level and passes under the Baker river
bridge near the east end between the pier and the bank. There is considerable rock work along
the right of way and it will probably require some weeks yet before the track
can be laid. A number of new spur
tracks have also been built near the Washington
plant.
|
Lower Baker Dam
This article
makes it sound like they completely changed the shoreline of Baker River.
|
7/24/24
C.H.
|
many men engaged on construction of power project
The Baker river canyon presents a wonderful
scene of activity these days and each day new changes may be noted in the
area adjacent to the site of the Stone & Webster power project on the
river. The field of operations
extends from the railroad spur in East Concrete, up the Baker river valley on
both sides of the river to the high railroad bridge across the river at the
head of the canyon. At all points
men are busy transporting materials, building roads, erecting buildings,
clearing ground, blasting out rock, and a thousand other things preliminary
to actual construction work on the project. The camp on the bluff east of the town
is a small city in itself, and all along the river are tents and cabins
occupied by employees of the Stone & Webster concern. There are now over 900 men employed on
the works, and the crews are readily being increased rapidly as conditions
are ready for the new men.
… The foundations of
the dam will be about 200 feet in width and will be sunk 35 feet into the
solid rock. The main dam will be
230 feet high, and the walls will have a gradual slope towards the top, which
will have a width of about 25 feet.
It will be built of reinforced concrete throughout, and will be sunk
into the solid rock on each side of the canyon.
|
Lower Baker Dam
900 men
employed. Foundation of dam 200
feet wide. Slopes upward until
width 25 feet across.
|
7/31/24
Argus
|
will get data on skagit river
County To Establish Hydrographic Station at
the Dalles
Near Concrete
Work was started yesterday on the
construction of a hydrographic station at the Dalles
of the Skagit River near Concrete. The plans
and specifications for the station were prepared by the county
engineer’s office and were approved by the board of county
commissioners at the regular meeting on Friday. . . .
The station will provide means of measuring
the water of the Skagit river for its volume and velocity and will be of
great value in giving records in the future fight to control the floods of the
river. During past years there has been no accurate record kept of the
river and engineers have no data upon which to base control measures.
For this reason the board of County commissioners approved the plans of the
county engineer.
|
The county installed the gage at the Dalles.
Robert E. L. Knapp was the county engineer.
He lived at 105 Snoqualmie in Mount
Vernon with his wife Irene. Retired by 1948 and
died in 1977. He is buried in Grand View
Cemetery in Anacortes.
The Kerns Funeral home handled matters.
“has been no accurate record kept of
the river and engineers have no data upon which to base control
measures.” They didn’t trust the Stewart Report.
|
7/31/24
C.H.
|
county will build station to gauge flow of river
here
At a meeting of the board of county
commissioners held last Friday it was decided to immediately install a
hydrographic station a The Dalles of the Skagit River,
near Grasmere, to record the height and flow
of water in the river during flood stage. As the river is now at its lowest
stage, and as this work must be done while the river is low, it was decided
to save the time it would take to call for bids for the installation and to
have the work done under the supervision of the county engineer, and Deputy
Engineer Wright will be in personal charge of the erection of the
station. While the details of the
station are too technical for a layman to understand, the work will consist
of a concrete well from a point about two feet under low water to a point
above extreme high water mark, in which will be installed instruments to
automatically record the height of the water, and a cable will be strung
across the river on which will be suspended instruments to gauge the flow of
the stream. The work of
installing the station will start at once and will be completed within 30 days. The estimated cost of the completed
station is about $1,800, of which the greater part is for the instruments to
be used. The cost of the station
will be paid out of the special river improvement fund. In addition to providing a permanent
record of the river during flood stages, the station can also be used as a
warning to the residents of the lower valley, as the record of the height of
the flood here will give the people on the lower river a change to prepare
for the crest of the flood in that locality, as an accurate record of the
height of the water here will give them the data on which to base the likely
height below. In the event of
extreme high water, much property can be saved, and possibly lives, by having
advance knowledge of the flood stage for which preparation should be made.
|
Dalles River Gage
Gage built and
installed by County. James E.
Stewart recommended this gage as his work was only estimates. See 7/31/24
Argus, 11/26/24
Knapp Testimony.
|
8/7/24
C.H.
|
steelhead trout are planted in grandy lake
George Gallagher, deputy county game
warden, made a trip to Grandy
Lake yesterday,
forenoon with 50,000 steelhead trout fry from the government fish hatchery at
Birdsview and liberated the little fishes in the lake for the benefit of
fishermen in years to come. The
county game commission has received over 400,000 trout fry from the hatchery,
which have been planted in various lakes and streams in the county.
|
Fish Issue
50,000 Steelhead
planted in Grandy
Lake.
|
8/14/24
C.H.
|
stone & webster building railroad to cupples
ranch
The Stone & Webster Company has found
that another railroad will be required for the building of the huge dam and
power plant on the Baker
River and the second
road is now well under way. It
will run from near the site of the old Washington Portland Cement
company’s crusher building to the Cupples
farm on the other side of the Baker
River. From the top of the hill to the Baker River is a steep incline, and then a
bridge has been built across the Baker and nearly a mile up the valley on the
other side. The road will be used
for hauling the gravel and sand to be used in the construction of the dam and
plant buildings, an enormous quantity of each being required. The sand and gravel will be secured
from a bar on the farm, where there is a plentiful supply of the material and
of just the right quantity required for the work. The work of building the incline
railroad is progressing rapidly, and it will be ready for use by the time
construction work is started on the dam.
The Baker
River is now at its
lowest stage, and it is expected that the work of building the foundations
for the dam will be started within the next few weeks. The diversion tunnel, which will carry
the waters of the river while the foundations are being built, has been
completed, and as soon as the gates are in place the river will be diverted
into the tunnel.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Second railroad
needed to build dam. Diversion
tunnel completed. River soon to
be diverted.
|
8/28/24
C.H.
|
baker river is turned into diversion tunnel
The Stone & Webster Company diverted
the waters of the Baker
River from the river
bed into the diversion tunnel the latter part of last week and the site of
the huge dam is now dry ground. A
crib dam is being used to keep the water from overflowing during a raise in
the river. A large crew of men is
now busy in the river bed in getting the ground ready for the building of the
foundations of the dam. This work
will be rushed with all speed possible so as to have the foundations in place
before the river reaches flood stage next fall. The river bed is now being excavated
to bedrock for the full width of the dam, and as soon as this is finished
forms will be set and the pouring of concrete started.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Baker River turned into diversion channel.
Riverbed being excavated down to bedrock.
|
9/25/24
C.H.
|
power project is
badly damaged by heavy rainstorm
While the heavy
rainstorms of Sunday and Monday were greatly appreciated in many communities
in Western Washington for putting an end to the fire menace that was
threatening heavy damage in many places, the Stone & Webster company is
not giving any thanks for the rain.
The Baker river power project suffered a monetary loss that will run
into thousands of dollars, and the work of several weeks was entirely wiped
out. But even more serious is the
delay caused by the unexpected rise in the river. The power company has been working against
time, using every effort to get the foundations of the huge dam in place
before the danger of real floods in the river, and the freshet this week has
set the work back from two weeks to a month and makes it that much more
difficult to complete the required task this fall. … The Stone & Webster Company had
considerable heavy machinery between the two cofferdams, used in excavating
for the foundations of the main dam, including a steam shovel and three large
suction pumps, with the operating motors and other equipment. These were all covered by water and
sand and will have to be overhauled before they can again be used. The dam foundation between the two
cofferdams was made into a lake and was filled to a considerable depth with
sand, and much of the trestle work and other structures on the dam site were
washed out. Before the company will
be back to the point of its operations it had reached Saturday the water
between the cofferdams will have to be drained off, the machinery and
equipment dried out and overhauled, and the sand and gravel deposited by the
river excavated. It is estimated
that this will require more than two weeks.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Heavy equipment
lost during unexpected freshet.
Appears diversion channel didn’t handle all the flow.
|
10/2/24
Argus
|
Would Restrain Net
Fishermen
State Orders 167 Skagit County
People Into Court on October 14
Notice of a restraining order and order to
show cause, with summons and complaint are being served this week upon 167
fishermen who have been charged with operating in the protected area at the
mouth of the Skagit river. The
restraining order was obtained in the superior court here Friday and states
that the fishermen were violating Order No. 8 made in June 1924 by the State
Board of Fisheries. These fishermen are alleged to have used gill or
drift nets.
|
Were
not allowed to fish within a distance of 3 miles from the mouth of
river.
|
10/2/24
C.H.
|
stone & webster
work again delayed by flood
Just after
getting the dam site between the cofferdams cleared of water and sand and
getting down to excavating again, the Stone & Webster was again given a
touch of high water. The steady
rain of this week raised the waters of the Baker River
to a point where the diversion tunnel would not carry the low, and the
cofferdams again overflowed, forming another lake to be pumped out. The Baker is now falling again, and
unless it takes a notion to make another rise, the lake will be pumped out
and excavation work started again by the end of the week. The job of excavating the dam site is
now almost done, and unless delayed by more high water, the company will be
ready to pour cement for the foundation within the next week or ten days.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Another freshet
sets back construction. Cement
expected to be poured within one week to ten days.
|
10/4/24
MVDH
|
senator dill and black for river control
. . . Both Senator Dill and Mr. Black
dwelt upon flood control here and pledged themselves to the task of securing
government aid in this huge undertaking. Senator Dill reiterated his stand in
regard to river control when interviewed in this city today. He said that the
valley needs protection from floods and that he would do all in his power to
bring about relief. In this connection, Mr. Black also promised to produce
results.
|
Congressman Commits
To Flood Control
|
10/9/24
C.H.
|
pouring of cement
for big power dam starts tomorrow
The Stone &
Webster Company has now completed all its preliminary preparations for
building the huge power dam in the Baker
River canyon, and
according to present plans the first cement for the foundations of the dam
will be poured tomorrow. The
excavating of the site to bed rock has been completed and the first forms are
now being set in place. The massive
bunkers for the storage of sand and gravel have been built and are already
partially filled for the first run, and the battery of huge cement mixers
have been set up and are ready for operation, and chutes have been placed
from the mixers to the dam site to carry the concrete from the mixers to the
dam. The mixers have a capacity
of more than 3,000 cubic yards of concrete a day, and it is planned to
operate them to as near full capacity as possible. … The progress of the work up to the
present time indicates that the dam and plant will be completed and in
operation by the time first fixed by the company, November 1, 1925, and if
this is done it will likely set a record that will stand for some years to
come. The work being done here is
more extensive than the construction of the Seattle
project on the upper Skagit, and that plant
has been under construction for a number of years and, as now completed, will
not have the capacity of the plant being built here.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Cement ready to
be poured. Completion date set
for November 1925.
Puget Power would
build this dam in less time and would produce more power then the Seattle
City Light project at Gorge Dam.
|
10/23/24
MVDH
|
fish case awaits high court ruling
Continuance of the LaConner fish case until
after the supreme court of the state has given a decision on a similar case,
now pending in the higher court, has been announced. . . . 167
FISHERMAN CHARGED Notice of a restraining order and an order to show
cause, with summons and complaint were served the first week in October on
167 fishermen, charging them with operating within the closed area at the
mouth of the Skagit river. The fishermen
were alleged to have used gill nets.
|
Fish Lawsuit
167 commercial fisherman charged with using
gill nets in mouth of Skagit
River.
|
10/23/24
C.H.
|
stone & webster
stops all work on account of strike
Last Friday the
I. W. W. called a general strike on the works of the Stone & Webster
company here, over 500 men being called off the work on the power dam during
Friday and Saturday. It is
estimated that around 150 men stayed on the job, but these were not enough to
keep the work going, and as it appeared impossible to get a new crew, the
work of the dam and power plant was yesterday closed down indefinitely, and
all the men on the work were paid off.
All the men remaining at the camp now are care takers and watchmen and
the necessary clerical force.
While the strike seems to have been under consideration for some time,
it came as a surprise to the people of the city. The strikers, nearly all of whom are
members of the I. W. W. demanded a 25 per cent increase in wages, more and
better food, clean linen once a week, no overtime, safer working conditions,
boycott of California products and release of all class prisoners, although
it is not shown how the Stone & Webster company could comply with the
last demand. The demands of the
strikers were refused by the company and the strike was immediately called.
|
Lower Baker Dam
If its not
freshets it’s the Union strike that shuts down work. Strike demands included 25% pay
increase, more food, clean linen once a week and no overtime. Company told them to take a hike and
so they did.
|
10/25/24
MVDH
|
skagit
river
up 14 feet
Rising rapidly, the Skagit
river is fourteen and one-half feet higher today than it was at 9:30 last night.
The Skagit began rising last night, due to
warm winds of Thursday. Before it started to rise, the river was one-half
foot below sea level; the lowest it has been this season. Boats on the river
had difficulty in docking. The heavy rains of last night have had no effect
thus far. It is not expected that there will be any flood danger.
|
|
10/30/24
C.H.
|
strike called on
power project is about petered out
The general
strike called about a week ago by the I. W. W. against the Stone &
Webster power project here seems to be petering out for lack of opposition. The closing down of all work on the
dam and power plant by the Stone & Webster Company was a severe blow to
the strikers, as there cannot be any great enthusiasm maintained in a strike
where there is no opposition. The
closing down of the work releases all the men who did not go out and the
strikers had no further change to quarrel with them, and as no new men are
being employed there was no further change to keep up interest by stopping
strikebreakers, so while the strike is still on, there is very little
enthusiasm shown and a majority of the strikers are reported to have left
town. Where the streets were
filled with strikers a week ago, now one is seldom seen, except for the few
now on picket duty. … Owing to flood conditions in the Baker River there is very little chance that
the Stone & Webster Company will resume work before spring, even if the
strike is called off. For the
next few months there will be intermittent high water in the river, and the
work is at a stage now where it cannot be continued during high water, and
each flood is likely to wash out much of the work done since the preceding
one. At the present time watchmen
and the necessary clerical force is employed, and it is not likely that the
crew will be increased for several months.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Strikers losing
interest. Flood conditions also
stopped work.
|
11/6/24
C.H.
|
the strike
situation is now getting serious
The strike called
by the I. W. W. against the Stone & Webster work here, which has been on
for some weeks, has reached a point where trouble is likely to occur at any
time, and conditions are more serious than appears on the surface. The pickets maintained by the I. W. W.
are gradually becoming more troublesome and people in cars and on foot are
being stopped and interfered with, even though they have no connection
whatever with the strike. The few
men in this city who are still working at the camp have to be escorted
through the picket lines by officers, and even then there have been several
narrow escapes from a clash that might lead to bloodshed.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Strikers turning
violent.
|
11/20/24
CT
|
river flood report
to be made
A public hearing will be held in the
Commercial Club at Mt. Vernon, Washington at 1 p.m. Wednesday, November 26, in
connection with a report on preliminary examination of Skagit River
with reference to its floods which was directed by the Act of Congress of May
31, 1924. . . . While for accuracy of record all important facts
and arguments should be submitted in writing, oral evidence will be heard.
|
Corps of Engineers
Public Hearing
This was one of the most important meetings
in Skagit County history. Copies of the
minutes and testimony submitted have been obtained and are published in this
index.
|
11/26/24
MVDH
|
flood menace is
told here
Flood control of the Skagit
river was urged this afternoon at a meeting which was held in the Commercial
club rooms, this city. Col. W. J. Barden, Seattle , government
representative, and his aides were in attendance at the meeting and heard the
reports of the local committees in which the need for flood control was stressed.
. . . Data gathered by the committee for the last three years was
submitted to Col. Barden and his aides, which they took under advisement. A
long report, prepared by H. L. Willis, chairman of the river committee, was
submitted. The full report will be found on page three of today’s issue
of the Daily Herald. In his report, Mr. Willis went as far back as 1894 when
the damage caused by a flood here amounted to $1,500,000. A review of the
floods since that time was made in the report, details of which are presented
on page three, this issue. The report showed that floods here have cost the
citizens thousands upon thousands of dollars.
|
Corps of Engineers
Public Meeting
The minutes of this most important meeting
were obtained from the NARA
in Sandpoint Naval Air Station. Because of the importance of what was
stated at this meeting, the minutes, Mr. Willis’s testimony, as well as
the testimony of the County
Engineer and farmer J.
O. Rundene are
included in this index.
|
11/26/24
MVDH
|
Curb of Flood Waters Urged By Local Committee;
Damage Estimates Are High
Data gathered by several Skagit County committees over a period of several years
was today presented to Col. W. J. Barden, Seattle, who was there for the river
hearing. All the data asked for is included in a lengthy report
submitted by H. L. Willis, chairman of the river improvement committee and
which was turned over to Col. Barden. The complete report follows:
|
See 11/26/24 H.L.
Willis Testimony
The MVDH published the entire Willis
presentation. We obtained the actual copy of Mr. Willis’s
presentation in the archives of the NARA
in Sandpoint and it is reproduced electronically below.
|
11/26/24
Minutes
|
minutes of corps
of engineers public meeting
“I would like to emphasize the
point that Mr. Knapp brought out in his paper, that before any really
scientific plan can be prepared for the protection of this valley from
floods, it is necessary to have more authoritative information then we now
have as to the amount of water carried by the river in time of floods.
. . . The information that was collected by Mr. Stewart and given in
his report to the committee was excellent so far as the data that he had to
work upon permitted, but that data was necessarily more or less
inaccurate.
|
Colonel Barden
Statement re Accuracy of Stewart Report
Stewarts “data was necessarily more
or less inaccurate”. USGS and the Corps are still using the
Stewart data in computing 100 year flood flows on the Skagit.
|
11/26/24
Willis
Testimony
|
Testimony of H.L.
Willis
“As to the frequency, duration, and
height of floods in the Skagit River, we refer you for greater details to the
comprehensive report submitted to the Skagit County
Commissioners by Mr. J. E. Stewart in 1922. A copy of this report was
also filed with the U.S.
Beological Survey.”
|
Skagit County Received Copy of
Stewart Report
Mr. Willis’s report contained a
couple of typo’s. The county received the Stewart Report in 1923
and was filed with the US Geological Survey department.
|
11/26/24
Knapp
Testimony
|
testimony of county engineer robert e.l. knapp
“In accordance with the wishes of
this Citizens Committee above mentioned, a hydraulic engineer of wide
reputation, Mr. James E. Stewart, was employed and in the fall of 1922 and
the winter of 1923, he made a thorough preliminary examination of the valley
and river system, and his exhaustive report is now on file in my office.
“He has recommended, first that a flood warning system be installed;
second, that the diking off of the Nookachamps be delayed; third, that
certain danger spots be protected; fourth, obtain additional hydrographic
data; and fifth, form a conservancy district.” “The first
recommendation has not as yet been carried out. Chiefly because of the
limited funds at hand. The second recommendation has been carried
out. The third recommendation has to some extent been carried
out. Drift barriers have been built near Lyman, and a jetty built some
little distance below Lyman. The fourth recommendation we have been
very active in fulfilling because it is in direct line with the original
wishes of the Citizens Committee on flood control.” . . .
“I will give you a brief outline of such work as we have done in
gathering additional hydrographic data. Because of the limited funds
available in time past, such technical data as has been gathered in this
vicinity, has been very meager and calculations of stream flow are at best
only an estimate and accurate to within only 10 to 20%. The
technical data so far gathered, has been done entirely by the USGS Department
of Water Resources, and they have had to rely upon intermittent gage
readings, observations and recollections of residents, and more or less
disconnected precipitation records.” . . .
“Consequently, in order to secure definite and accurate stream flow
records, it is necessary to install good reliable equipment and take
measurements in a systematic manner. For this purpose and acting
upon the recommendation of Mr. Stewart, the Board of County Commissioners
in the spring of 1924 instructed the county engineer to proceed with the
construction of a suitable installation for the purpose of gathering
accurate stream flow records.
|
County Engineer Needs More Accurate Data In Which To Gage Flood
Heights
County Engineer had Stewart Report.
County delayed diking off Nookachamps.
Stewart calculations were “only an
estimate”. Relied upon intermittent gage readings, observations
and recollections of residents, and more or less disconnected precipitation
records.
Needed gage in Dalles in order to secure
“accurate stream flow records.”
|
11/26/24
Rundene
Testimony
|
j.o. rundene
testimony
. . .I have lived in Skagit
County forty-nine years and am
familiar with the flood conditions, experienced in the Skagit
Valley and particularly the LaConner
flats, so called, during that period of time; that the first freshet and
flood from the Skagit
River that I recall,
occurred the last of May in 1882. At that time there
were no dikes on the Skagit
River, but the land
bordering on the same extending upward to the foothills and the foothills
themselves were all covered with a heavy growth of fir, cedar and
spruce. The water at that time covered the LaConner flats and stood on
my farm three feet deep for a period of about two weeks, the depth of the
water varying during that period of time. . . . In 1883 I
commenced to build dikes along the North Fork of the Skagit River.
These dikes were gradually increased and work was done on them
continuously until 1895, when I retired as Commissioner, and at that time it
appeared to me and I thought the dikes were sufficiently high to protect the
land against extreme high water at all seasons and during all flood
conditions. . . . As this condition has increased the size of the
dikes have also been greatly increased, until at the present time the dikes
are at least three times as large as they were in 1895, when they were
considered sufficient for all possible purposes. There were other
freshet of lesser consequences during the intervening years, but the next
time at which the entire country was covered with water, as I recall it, was
in 1909. At that time the dikes broke at various points on the Skagit
River and North fork flooding the entire country between Mt. Vernon and
LaConner and between Burlington and the mouth of the Samish River at Edison,
being territory about ten miles square, to a depth of from two to eight feet
of water. There was water in the vicinity of my place, about six feet
deep, for a period of two weeks or longer, the water standing on the land for
a period of a month or more. The next large freshet was in 1917,
occurring in December and the entire country above referred to was again
covered with water to a depth of from two to six feet, the water remaining on
the land until after Christmas time. The next large freshet was in 1921
on New year’s day. The entire country was again covered to a
depth of from two to six feet and the water remaining on the land over a
period of two weeks. . . .
|
Local Farmer Tells
of Flood History
Lived in Skagit
since 1875. In 1882 there were no levees.
Began building levees in 1883 along the
North Fork of Skagit River.
He blamed logging for increasing the amount
of run-off in floods.
1909 flood broke North Fork levees and
flooded everything from Mt.
Vernon to
LaConner.
1909, 1917 and 1921 floods all deposited 2
to 6 feet of water on his farm.
|
11/27/24
Argus
|
Tell of Skagit Flood Damage
Citizens Appear Before War Department
Engineer With Much Data
Citizens of Skagit county appeared before
Col. W.J. Bardon, District United States Engineer
of the War Department yesterday in the Mount Vernon Commercial club rooms and
presented evidence of past damage by Skagit
river floods. The hearing was called by the War Department officer
“in connection with a report on preliminary examination of the river as
directed by an act of Congress of May 31, 1924.”
The Skagit
river improvement committee composed of representative men of this county
with H.L. Willis as chairman, prepared data which was presented at the
hearing, calling attention to the report filed with the county commissioners
by J.E. Stewart in 1922, a copy of which also was filed with the U.S.
Biological Survey.
The report states the “cost of dikes
already constructed together with repairs and enlargements has, to date,
exceeded 1 1-4 million dollars.” …
“The era of power development for
electrical purposes into which we are now entering seems to give hope along a
practical line for flood relief. There is at present one large dam on
Baker river in process of construction. Another is projected in the Skagit at Ruby creek. Still another on the Sauk
river has been discussed. If arrangements could be made with any or all
the builders of these dams to hold always available the upper ten feet of the
dam for flood storage the greater part of our flood menace would seem to be
gone. Such storage for 48 hours would hold back the crest of the flood
and give time for run-off. It is the crest of the flood that breaks the
dikes and does the damage.”
The reported quoted in detail from the
report made two years ago by J.W. Collins, secretary of the Commercial club
which stated that the flood of 1894 damaged crops in the valley approximately
1 1-2 million dollars. The flood of 1897 also did great property damage
and in 1906 the loss was estimated at $250,000 while that of 1909 was placed
at 1 1-2 millions. The flood caused estimated damage at $500,000 in
1917, according to Mr. Collin’s report.
After the 1921 flood H.L. Devin of
Sedro-Woolley prepared a detailed report with the following figures:
Public road and
bridges………………………$
75,000
Buildings………………………………….........
30,000
Loss of logs and
bolts…………………………
105,000
Merchandise and personal
property………… 45,000
Dikes, ditches and drain
tile…………………. 100,000
Crops, harvested and unharvested
………… 30,000
Live
stock……………………………………….
55,000
Drainage land and future
crops………………100,000
Loss of
wages………………………………….
15,000
TOTAL
$505,000
“There are also intangible
losses. Among these are many thousands of dollars of trade and
merchants either through the sudden cutting off of the transportation or
through the crippling of the customer’s ability to buy.
“The total losses from all floods in
the past fifty years have been enormous; yet as the valley becomes more
highly developed each succeeding flood is likely to be more disastrous than
the last. The damage to the present valley of such a flood as that of 1820
which was 40 per cent, greater than that of 1909, can hardly be
conceived. While we yet have some property to protect it behooves us to
seek out some practical method to curb this flood menace which is already
lurking in the mountain ready to burst upon us.”
Several citizens gave oral testimony as to
the damage caused in past years by the overflowing the Skagit
river and Robert E.L. Knapp county engineer appeared before the engineer and
gave further technical testimony concerning the floods of the river. He
also told of the county’s work in establishing a hydrographic station
on the upper river by means of which accurate data of the flow of the river
and its rise and fall may be kept.
|
This means that they published Preliminary
Report (Recon Report) in just 7 months from the time they got
authorization.
Note date of report. 1922. This
is a typo. Report was actually given to County sometime after September
1923. In any event destroys USGS argument that early reports were just
drafts.
Lower Baker not completed yet.
Recognized impact of dam storage on flood control. Upper ten feet
should be used for storage.
Also need to find Collins report.
Flood damages.
Statement had to come from Stewart.
|
12/12/24
MVDH
|
High Winds and Heavy Rain
Cause Skagit
River to Rise
Continued heavy rains and Chinook winds during the last twenty-four hours
have caused the Skagit river to rise rapidly
and today the high water conditions have assumed a serious aspect.
Since yesterday noon the river here has risen about six feet and observers
today claim that the water is rising about three inches an hour. At one
o’clock the river was nearing the eighteen-foot mark. . . .
Several of the old timers say the conditions are just about right for
flood. Crest of the high waters has not been reached, they declare.
. . . Telephone reports received by the Daily Herald this afternoon
from Lyman were that the road between that place and Hamilton was under water. . . .
Late reports received by the Daily Herald were that part of Hamilton is under water. School was dismissed
and the desks and other equipment are being moved from the building, it was
reported.
|
DECEMBER 12, 1924
FLOOD
Flood
would have been on December 12th and 13th, 1924.
USGS and Corps reported flood carried 92,500 cfs and reached 32.44 feet at
Concrete. No figures for Mt.
Vernon.
Part
of Hamilton
underwater. Dikes broke at Dry Slough on Fir Island.
(See 12/18/24 Argus article.)
|
12/13/24
MVDH
|
Weakened Dike Is Washed Out
Seventy-five feet of diking were washed out near Skagit City
this morning and as a result several hundred acres of lowlands are
flooded. The break was in the same place as that of the last big
flood. Late reports received here were that the water had not yet
reached the road, but that unless the river goes down, the highway will be
covered. Weak construction of the dike is believed to have caused the
washout since the river was four feet from the top. . . . Hamilton reports the river dropping and it is said the
water is now off the road between Hamilton
and Concrete.
|
Skagit City Dike Washed Out
|
12/18/24
Argus
|
High Water In Skagit County
Heavy Rains and Warm Winds Again Send
Stream to the Flood Stage
Heavy rains and warm winds caused the
Skagit to rise rapidly Friday and Saturday, the stream reaching the 20-foot
mark at the old gauge across the river from the Mission
theatre. With the sudden drop in temperature however, the stream began
to go down. Dry Slough southwest of Mount Vernon
was unable to hold the flood and the water soon covered the farming district
of Fir Island with from one to two feet of
water. Water also backed across the pavement between Mount
Vernon and Conway
and south of Milltown. Traffic, however, was not interrupted.
|
Flood
would have been on December 12th and 13th, 1924.
USGS and Corps reported flood carried 92,500 cfs and reached 32.44 feet at
Concrete.
Dikes
broke at Dry Slough on Fir
Island.
|
2/12/25
CT
|
farmers consider plans for new drainage district
here
A meeting of farmers of this district to
consider a new drainage project will be held in the Sedro-Woolley Commercial
club rooms on Saturday afternoon of this week at 2 o’clock. County
Agent Bergstrom is in charge of the meeting and is developing plans for the
proposed district. This matter was brought up in 1922 and is being considered
again because certain farmers have asked for relief from the excess water in
this district. . . . The proposed drainage district extends about
to Cokedale on the east, including the Northern State hospital lands; goes up
to Duke’s hill on the north, to the edge of town on the west and as far
south toward the river as drainage is needed. . . . Those who
oppose the drainage district because they say their land does not need
drainage, will not be included in the proposed district, if drainage will not
benefit them, Mr. Bergstrom said today. He estimates that the district will
include between 4500 and 5000 acres in this district, and believes that
enough of the farm owners in the district feel the need of drainage, to make
the organization possible.
|
New Drainage
Project
5,000 acre drainage district boundaries
were Cokedale on the East including Northern
State, Dukes Hill on the North,
Sedro-Woolley to the west and south to the Skagit River.
|
2/26/25
CT
|
river is washing land away rapidly; threatens
highway
During the past month or two, more than an
acre of land has been washed into the river, from the farm just west of the
Northern Pacific railroad bridge south of town. . . . Besides the
washing away of this good farm land, the most serious menace is the dry bed
of an old slough, which has been partially filled in, and is now exposed, or
soon will be, to the full current of the river at high water. If the river is
permitted to wash much more land away, the backwater will go up this slough
at high water, and flood the pavement even worse than it is now at high
water. . . .
|
Erosion Near
Sedro-Woolley
Acre of ground washed into the Skagit just west of NPRR bridge south of Sedro-Woolley
(adjacent to Highway 9 bridge).
|
5/21/25
Argus
|
county’s
“big snake” officially measured
The mighty Skagit
had itself officially measured, Monday, by the county engineer’s
office, at the county gauging and measuring station, at Concrete. The
county, the City of Seattle and Stone & Webster all keep a wary eye on
the writhing monster, and its changes in mood are reported to Colonel Barden,
district engineer of the U.S. War Department and G. H. Parker, district
engineer of the U.S.G.S., in the form of cryptic, tabulated statistics.
. . .
The most menacing period on record was in 1921,
when the snake lashed its tail and ran amuck, and a wide area was
flooded. That time 240,000 second feet of water raced by the
observation station.
|
This article strongly suggests that
although gage was installed on 7/31/24 it was not operative until sometime in
1925.
This was directly from Stewart. Gage
didn’t go in until 1924.
|
7/29/25
C.H.
|
fish expert here to
study problem of saving salmon
Dr. Henry B.
Ward, professor of zoology at the University of Illinois and who is known as
the leading authority in the United States on the sockeye salmon is spending
several weeks in this city and at Baker lake is trying to study out some
feasible means of getting the salmon past the power dam of the Stone &
Webster company on the Baker river to the spawning grounds at Baker lake, and
of getting the small salmon fry from the government hatchery at the lake down
the Baker on their way to salt water.
Dr. Ward was here ten years ago and made an investigation and
collected data at the Baker Lake hatchery
and on this trip is also checking up the results of his investigation at that
time. Dr. Ward says that on
account of the damming of the streams in various parts of the country for
power projects, million of salmon are prevented from getting to their spawning
grounds, and the small fish are prevented from going down stream, and that
careful and scientific study must be given the problem of getting the fish
over the dam. He believes that a
solution is possible, but is not ready to announce what it may be. According to Dr. Ward, the Baker river
sockeyes are the best in the country, and the Baker Lake
hatchery has been doing excellent work, but that the salmon in the river will
be practically exterminated unless some means is devised to get the fish past
the dam. In some places
experiments have been made to get the small fish down the river by having
them go through the turbines, but the pressure is so great that nearly all
the fish were killed.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Fish Issue
Professor at University of Illinois employed to study how to save
the sockeye from dam construction.
He also studied the Baker
River fish hatchery in
1915.
Around the
country dams have prevented millions of salmon from getting to their spawning
streams.
|
9/3/25
Argus
|
skagit
county
leads nation in soil test
Seven Year Government Probe Brings District
Handsome Tribute
From Gunderson Farm
First Seven and Last Two Out of Twelve Won
Locally; Gunderson Farm 100 Per Cent
The United
States government has just admitted that Skagit county is the finest farming community in the
nation, bar none. In a series of soil tests extending over the past
seven years, . . . Skagit county soil won
nine out of 12 points. An assay of soil taken from the Gunderson
estate, south of Clear
Lake, was found to be
100 per cent perfect for general agricultural purposes. It was the only
soil given a perfect rating.
|
This would be Nookachamps soil.
|
9/17/25
CT
|
hearing on Padilla bay dike districts
A hearing was held before a jury in
superior court Wednesday, on the proposed Padilla Bay
diking district. The jury returned a directed verdict assessing damages and
benefits of the proposed project. The estimated benefit to owners of lands in
the territory which it is proposed to drain was $1,900,000. There were 126
property owners involved. The estimated benefits were about $200 an acre, and
the nominal estimate damage, $1 an acre. It is said that there are over
10,000 acres now under water, that will be drained for cultivation. It is
proposed to drain Padilla Bay, which means that the water between the Samish
Camp Fire grounds and Hat island will be drained, laving the camp’s
point of land, with water only on one side. Bay View will be left miles from
any water, if the plans are carried out. . . .
|
Padilla Bay Dike
District
Proposal included draining Padilla Bay.
|
9/17/25
C.H.
|
stone & webster
will have big dam finished by nov. 1
The huge power
project of the Stone & Webster Company in the Baker river canyon is now
nearing completion, and another month or so will see the big plant in
operation. The work has gone
ahead rapidly for the past few months, and the monster job is now getting
down to finishing touches in many places. The crew of 1,000 or more men, that
has been kept busy on construction work for twenty-four hours a day through
the summer, is now being gradually reduced, and as each phase of the job is
finished more men will be let out.
It is generally believed that by the end of the next thirty days there
will be only a few hundred men left on the job, and in about sixty days there
will be no one left except the operating crews and a crew to clean up the
odds and ends of the project. The
huge dam, which is the largest part of the construction of the local project,
is rapidly nearing completion. On
the west side of the Baker the dam is almost finished. Cement has been poured to the full
height of the structure and practically all work on this end of the dam is
done. The gate piers have been
placed, and on the east end of the dam there are several sections to be
poured yet. The work on this end
has been delayed on account of rotten rock on the surface, requiring
considerable blasting and excavation work to get down to a solid foundation
for the east wall. … The huge dam, which is the largest
part of the construction of the local project, is rapidly nearing completion. On the west side of the Baker the dam
is almost finished. Cement has
been poured to the full height of the structure and practically all work on
this end of the dam is done. The
gate piers have been placed, and on the east end of the dam there are several
sections to be poured yet. The
work on this end has been delayed on account of rotten rock on the surface,
requiring considerable blasting and excavation work to get down to a solid
foundation for the east wall. It
is expected that all the construction work on the dam will be finished by
October 15, and then the spillways will be sealed and the big dam filled with
water.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Dam nearing
completion. Encountered
“rotten rock” on east end of dam.
|
10/15/25
CT
|
great
baker river
power plant nearing completion – lake
shannon newly created 7-mile lake
Washington’s newest
hydro-electric project, the great Baker
River plant, is rapidly
nearing completion. . . . In honor to William D. Shannon, the man
who has had entire charge of construction, the lake formed by the dam thrown
across the Baker river will be known as “Shannon Lake.”
The lake will be more than seven miles long and will contain sufficient water
to cover 70,000 acres one foot deep … The surface area of the lake will
be 1,780 acres and it will be 405 feet above sea level. Baker River
rises among the glaciers on the south slopes of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan, in Whatcom county. Near
the foot of these peaks a glacial moraine backs up the river to form
beautiful Baker Lake, the elevation of which
is 664 feet above sea level. . . . It (the dam) contains more
than 220,000 cubic yards of concrete masonry. Back of this gigantic dam
will be Shannon Lake, the reservoir that will store the flood
waters of the river which will develop eventually 80,000 horsepower for
use throughout western and central Washington.
. . . Construction was started April 1, 1924.
|
Baker Dam Just
About Completed
Shannon Lake
named for William D. Shannon, dam engineer and project manager.
Glacial moraine formed Baker
Lake. Need to determine how much water was in Baker Lake before Upper Baker dam was built.
Lake Shannon reservoir “will store the
flood waters of the river”.
They built a dam in 18 months.
|
10/15/25
C.H.
|
great
baker river
power plant nearing completion
Washington’s newest hydro-electric project, the great Baker river plant is
rapidly nearing completion. It
will ultimately become the largest hydro-electric power plant of the Puget
Sound Power & Light Company.
In honor of William D. Shannon, the man who has had entire charge of
construction, the lake formed by the dam thrown across the Baker River
will be known as “Shannon
Lake.” The lake will be more than seven miles
long and will contain sufficient water to cover 70,000 acres one foot deep,
ample to supply the power plant with the necessary flow every day throughout
the year. The surface area of the
lake will be 1780 acres, and it will be 405 feet above sea level. Baker
River rises among the glaciers on
the south slopes of Mount Baker and Mount
Shuksan in Whatcom County. Near the foot of these peaks a glacial
moraine backs up the river to form beautiful Baker Lake,
the elevation of which is 664 feet above sea level. From the lake the stream flows down
mountain gorges and through a valley 15 miles to its confluence with the Skagit River, near Concrete. Just before reaching the Skagit the
Baker flows through deep Eden
gorge, across which the power project dam has been built 245 feet high and
180 feet thick at the base. It
contains more than 220,000 cubic yards of concrete masonry. Back of this gigantic dam will be Shannon Lake,
the reservoir that will store the flood waters of the river which will
develop eventually 80,000 horsepower for use throughout Western and Central Washington wherever the Puget Sound Power &
Light company’s transmission lines extend. … The cost of this great undertaking,
with a 13,000 kilowatt substation at Sedro-Woolley, is exceeding $8,000,000. Under the supervision of Mr. Shannon,
a world’s record is being made in the construction of this
project. As far as known no other
plant of equal power will have been constructed in as short a time, or at a
smaller relative outlay, and this despite the fact that last winter proved
one of the worst on record.
Construction was started April 1, 1924.
|
Picture available
Lower Baker Dam
Lake behind dam named after project manager William D.
Shannon. Lake
seven miles long.
Glacial moraine
backs up Baker River
to form Baker Lake. It would be interesting to determine
if it was a glacial moraine or a volcanic mudflow.
It was 15 miles
from Baker Lake down the Baker River to the Skagit River.
Reservoir to
“store flood waters”.
|
10/22/25
CT
|
drainage expert to
visit skagit
A.B. Crane, drainage specialist, will pay Skagit county a five day visit from October 23 to 28
inclusive, and all farmers in the district desiring advice on their farm
drainage problems should apply at once, . . . he has spent 36 days
assisting individual farmers in working out their farm drainage
problems. 57 of the farmers applying for this work have been given
personal assistance in planning their drainage systems, these 57 farmers
represent a total acreage of 2,729 acres.
|
Drainage
57 farmers represented 2,729 acres.
That would be an average of 48 acres per farm. Farms were a lot smaller
back then.
|
10/24/25
MVDH
|
Huge Artificial Lake
Is Formed
Forming of the huge artificial lake to be known as Shannon lake at the Baker River project was started this week
when the Baker river was turned against the power dam at Concrete.
During the first day that the course of the river was turned to the lake, the
lake rose eleven feet. The huge artificially constructed lake is eight
miles in length with a maximum width of about a mile. Its depth
approximates 200 feet. The dam is 245 feet high from bedrock to the top
of the flood gates, and is 450 feet ling. . . . Construction of
the dam started about eighteen months ago, on April 1, 1924.
|
Lake Shannon Begins To Fill
First day lake rose 11 feet.
|
10/24/25
MVDH
|
Skagit Lowest In 30 Years, U.S. Men Busy
The Skagit River is now at the lowest stage of
flow that it has been for almost thirty years. This startling fact was
revealed today by a group of eight field engineers of the United States geological survey
who have been obtaining measure on the river discharge measurements. .
. . Reports from the Upper Skagit
district state that the river in that district shows less channel depth this
month than at any time during the past twenty-seven years. In places
the waters are so low that it is possible to cross the river, hopping from
boulder to boulder without getting one’s feet wet, according to C.H. Park,
supervisor of the Mount Baker National forest, whose office is in Bellingham. The
situation in the Skagit river has reached a
most serious condition. It was brought out in the investigation which
is being conducted by geological surveyors that the river bed in many places
has raised twenty feet between here and the mouth of the river. This
condition alone is cause for alarm.
|
Skagit River Very Low
One has to wonder how much the filling of Lake Shannon
had to do with the low levels in the Skagit.
Previous 10/24/25 article states Baker
River rose 11 feet in
one day.
|
10/29/25
Argus
|
huge lake is now forming behind dam
Reservoir of Water 250 Feet Deep and Eight
Miles Long Is Filling
Power Plant is Ready
Massive Concrete Wall Is Anchored Into
Solid Rock of Canyon Above Concrete
Mt. Vernon will have light and power from the new Baker River power plant of the Puget Sound
Power & Light Co., for a Christmas present. . . . lake eight
miles long and 250 feet deep.
|
Lower Baker Dam Completed.
Expected to take 6 weeks to fill up.
|
10/29/25
C.H.
|
baker river power
plant will start early next week
The new 40,000 h.p. power plant of the Puget Sound Power & Light
company on the Baker river will start operations early next week according to
a statement made today by W. D. Shannon, general manager for the Stone &
Webster company for the Pacific coast.
The huge dam has been filling up rapidly since the heavy rains of the
past week and present indications are that the water for starting the
turbines in the power plant will be available by the middle of next
week. … On account of the low water in the
river the dam filled very slowly for the first week but the heavy rains have
caused a small freshet in the Baker river and the lake has been rising quite
rapidly since the first of the week.
This morning the water had about forty feet to rise before it would be
high enough to start the wheels turning in the power plant, and at the
present stage of water it will take about five days to bring the dam up to
the necessary level. The water
had been coming up almost ten feet a day for the past few days, but from now
on every foot of raise will mean a much larger area to cover, so the height
of the water will increase more slowly.
… Present
indications are that the new power plant will be in operation before the end
of next week, and that soon afterwards Concrete will be using Baker river
power for lights and power. As
the service has not been very satisfactory for the past month, it is hoped
that there will be a change for the better when the local plant is in regular
operation.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Water supposed to
be high enough behind the dam to run turbines first week in November.
|
11/6/25
C.H.
|
low water delays
starting of new power plant here
Last week, with
rain every day and a small freshet in the Baker
River, it seemed certain that Lake Shannon,
the big lake formed by the filling of the dam across the Baker River,
would be filled within another week or ten days. However, the rain stopped in a few
days and the weather turned cold, and the river quickly dropped to the
extreme low level of a few weeks ago.
As a consequence the lake is filling very slowly, and unless another
heavy rain comes to give relief, it appears as if it will be another month or
six weeks before there will be water enough to start the turbines turning in
the power plant. The lake has now
reached a height where every inch of raise is spread over hundreds of acres
in area, and as it rises from now every foot of raise will mean a greater
area to cover and therefore the raise will be slower. For the 24 hours ending yesterday
evening the lake rose just 12 inches.
The water at that time was 31 feet below the tunnel and the water
level must be 10 feet above the intake before the plant can be started. This means that the water still has 41
feet to rise before operations can be started. At the rate of a foot or less a day,
the present rate of progress, it will bring the starting time quite close to
Christmas. The Puget Sound Power
& Light company has promised Baker
River power as a
Christmas present to its customers in the lower valley and it now seems that
there is little danger that the present will be delivered ahead of time.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Water
didn’t raise high enough to turn on the power plants. Could be another month to six weeks
before water raised to sufficient level.
Every inch of
raise is spread over hundreds of acres in area. Water level came up 12 inches in 24
hours. Water still had 41 feet to
go.
|
11/19/25
CT
|
power from baker river plant ready for use here this
week
Marking a new era for electric light and
power in this part of the state, the current generated at the new Baker river
power project, recently completed by Stone & Webster, will be turned into
the Sedro-Woolley sub-station this week. The water of the river, back
of the recently finished dam has risen 160 ft. on the dam to the intake, and
the power turbines in the power house have been turned over and tested, so
everything is in readiness to start operations.
|
Baker River Dam Goes On-Line
Water rose 160 feet behind dam.
|
11/19/25
C.H.
|
first
power from baker river plant turned out today
The first
electric power generated at the Baker river plant of the Puget Sound Power
& Light company was carried over the transmission lines from the plant to
the substation at Sedro-Woolley today.
Unit No. 1 is now in actual operation and is working as smoothly-as an
old and tested machine.
… The water in Lake Shannon
reached the intake of the tunnel last Saturday and then the water was turned
into the tunnel and the machinery turned over for the first time Sunday
afternoon. The first few days of
the week were spent in making final adjustments and it was not until today that
everything was ready to start manufacturing power. The water in the dam is still steadily
rising and it is now within about 35 feet of the top. The water is now spreading over such a
large area that it only rises a few inches a day, even through the heavy
rains of the past week have raised the water in the river. With the plant in operation and using
the water, the dam will fill more slowly and it is not likely that the water
will flow over the top for some months, unless there is a real flood in the
river.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Compare this
article to the CH 11/6/25 article.
Somehow it seems that the river came up awfully fast. One of these articles is
inaccurate. It does say though
that there were “heavy rains”. No record of any flood
event during that time in 1925.
|
11/26/25
CT
|
more “puget
power”
Baker River is harnessed to add its age-old strength to
the upbuilding of the Pacific
Northwest. The surge of 40,000 horsepower today augments
the surging might vibrating in our transmission lines and serving 350 cities,
towns and communities in Washington.
The investment of over eight thousand citizens of Western
Washington in our securities has aided in making this plant
possible. . . . Concrete dam 245 feet high. Impounding
70,000 acre-feet of water. Creating “Lake Shannon”,
8 miles long.
|
Advertisement By
Puget Power
245 feet high?? See
5/5/27 CT article. It says dam was 260 ft high.
|
11/26/25
C.H.
|
great new baker river plant completed in record time
Following less
than nineteen months elapsed time since the beginning of construction,
President A. W. Leonard of the Puget Sound Power & Light company last
week pressed the button that marked the official opening of Washington’s
newest hydro-electric power development on the Baker River,
and which increased the company’s power output by 40,000
horsepower. Begun April 1, 1924,
delayed by a strike and hampered by one of the most severe winters on record
in that part of the country, when the flooding waters of the river erased
progress time after time, the completion of this plant under the direction of
W. D. Shannon, engineer in charge of construction, is regarded as one of the
outstanding feats of engineering hitherto accomplished on the Pacific coast
and had it not been for an unusual fall through, which materially delayed the
filling of the reservoir, it is probable that the lapse of time between the
actual commencement of construction and the delivery of power would have been
still further reduced. The dam,
which is one of the main features of this plant, is 245 feet high from
bedrock to the top of the floodgates-many feet higher than any building in
the Northwest, with the single exception of the Smith building tower-and
contains enough concrete to construct five hotels similar in size and type of
that of the new Olympic in Seattle.
Draining a watershed of 270 square miles, including snow-capped Mount
Baker and Mount
Shuksan, a reservoir of
1850 acres in extent and of a maximum depth of 200 feet will be formed behind
the dam. From the intake at the
dam to the penstock a tunnel 900 feet in length and 22 feet in diameter,
inside the concrete lining has been constructed.
|
Picture available
Lower Baker Dam
Dam completed in
record time. Just 19 months. Amazing what you can do without public
hearings and environmental impact statements.
Drains watershed
of 270 sq miles, reservoir 1850 acres, and maximum depth 200 feet.
|
5/4/26
C.H.
|
power company is
granted permit to raise local dam
A permit was
issued the first of this week to the Puget Sound Power & Light Company by
R. K. Tiffany, state supervisor of hydraulics, for the raising of the Baker River dam by 30 feet. The report published is that the
permit provides for the starting of the work before June 3, 1926, and final
completion before October 15, 1929.
This raise will make the dam 275 feet in height and will raise the
waters in Lake Shannon by 30 feet. As every foot of raise now means a
much larger area for the water to spread over, the 30 foot raise will mean an
increase of water storage capacity of 140,000 acre feet, as compared with the
present capacity of about 70,000 acre feet. The estimated cost of the improvement
is given as $100,000, and this expenditure will give the company a water
storage of more than double the capacity of the present dam. The purpose of increasing the height
of the dam is to make certain that there will be plenty of water to keep the
power plant in operation during the months of extreme low water in the Baker River. It is also likely that the local power
plant will be doubled in size and capacity within a few years by the
installation of two more units, in which case the additional water will be
needed during the months of extreme low water in the Baker River. It is also likely that the local power
plant will be doubled in size and capacity during the months while the river
is at a low stage.
|
Lower Baker Dam
In less than 6
months from completion PSP&L granted permit to raise dam by 30 feet.
|
2/16/27
C.H.
|
men are arriving to start raising baker river dam
It now appears that the job of raising the
Baker river dam an additional thirty feet will be started some months sooner
than expected. It had been
generally believed that this work would not be started until late in the
spring, but indications of the past week are that construction work will be
under way next month. While the
work will be rushed as rapidly as possible, it is understood that it will
require five or six months to finish all the work contemplated at this
time. … There are now about fifty men on the
job, and it is understood that the crews will be increased as the work
progresses to a maximum of about 300 men.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Fifty men already
on the job of raising Baker Dam.
|
2/23/27
C.H.
|
new
diablo dam is great
project for
upper valley
The construction
of the new Diablo dam for the city of Seattle about 13 miles above Newhalem
is a big project, according to E. C. Forner, an engineer
for the Superior company, who visited the works last Sunday and looked over
the works from an engineering standpoint, rather than from the usual scenic
point of view. He brought back
some interesting figures in regard to the new dam, which are used in this
article. The dam is located at
the southerly end of the noted Diablo canyon, and when completed will be 570
feet wide at the top and 340 feet high, figuring from the ordinary water
level of the Skagit river.
Winston Bros. have the contract for the construction of the dam and
diversion tunnel and at the present time have a crew of over 400 men at
work. The diversion tunnel is now
about 70 per cent completed. It
will be about 600 feet long and 24 feet square and will be used to carry the
water of the Skagit river while the dam is under construction, and will
possibly be used later to carry water from the dam to a new power plant. Actual work on the Diablo dam is
expected to start within the next three months, with the actual pouring of
concrete started within that time.
|
Diablo Dam
Will be 340 feet high. Construction supposed to start by May
1927.
|
3/21/27
C.H.
|
fishing
season in skagit
county to open next
friday
There are some
real fishermen in Concrete and also some would-be fishermen and all of them
are getting ready for the official opening of the Skagit county fishing
season, which is set for next Friday, April 1. The old rod and reel, which has been
cached away since last November, have been dug out and are being oiled up and
rigged up with new lines, hooks and sinkers, so as to be ready for action at
daybreak on the opening day.
… Grandy lake is one
of the most popular fishing resorts in the state, and there will be several
hundred fishermen on the shores of the lake early Friday morning and even on
Thursday night. Seattle
will be well represented and every town or city north of Seattle will have its quota. There are plenty of fish in the lake
and early in the season they are usually easy to catch and are of fine size
and quality.
|
Fish Issue
Appears from this
article that fishing season was from April 1 to October 31. Grandy Lake
used to be a very popular fishing spot.
|
5/5/27
MVDH
|
$200,000 Being Spent To Raise Baker River Dam
This enlargement of capacity is being accomplished by increasing the height
of the Baker River dam by 33 feet from its present
260 feet to a total of 293 feet, and making it one of the highest concrete
structures of the kind in the world.
|
Dam Gets Height
Extension
|
5/5/27
Argus
|
skagit
valley
warned to prepare for flood!
flood danger here
seen in big snowfall
Warm Rain Or Chinook Is Feared – Late
Spring Swells Danger
Bridge Weakens Dike
Great Northern Structure Acts as Partial
Dam, Mt. Vernon Engineer Points Out
Judge Crookston urged that the Puget Sound
Power & Light Co. be requested to lower the level of the water in Lake Shannon,
behind the Baker
River dam, so the lake
could absorb the surplus which will come down when the warm weather sets
in. He said that conditions now are similar to those in the spring of
1894, when the Skagit
Valley was
flooded. The difference now, he added is that the forests on the hills
which formerly retarded the rush of melted snow have been removed; therefore
the danger is more acute. . . .
I do not wish to assume the role of a
harbinger of disaster,” said Mr. Moore today, “but those citizens
of the Skagit Valley whose homes and live stock are
protected from floods by dikes, should understand that the stage is partly
set for a more than ordinary flood. The mountainous district to our
east has as heavy a snowfall as I have seen in 15 years, with much of it
recent or new snow, which is rapidly melted by a warm rain or Chinook wind,
and as the spring is far advanced we can expect a sudden change.
“Lake
Shannon, the result of the dam at
Concrete, will be of benefit during a flood, although the Baker river only
represents one fifth of the total water in the Skagit
river. Such a lake retards the water to some extent, lengthens the time
of passing and thereby lowers the peak of the flood.
“One of the unfortunate conditions
permitted by the government engineers is the diagonal position and oversize
substructure with riprap, which carries the Great Northern railroad bridge,
north of this city. This substructure
obstructs one-sixth of the waterway at or near a sharp bend in the river,
which causes repeated failure of the dikes above the aforesaid bridge.”
|
This is only the second mention of the
Spring flood of 1894 I have seen. The other was as follows: “The
Winter floods previous to the Spring flood of 1894 was about 2 feet higher,
but they were never as high or no indications of them being so, excepting the
one big flood the Indians tell about. The Winter Floods since that time
(1894) were always higher. The more they diked the river close to it,
the higher the floods have been.” (Source: Letter to
Stewart from Joe Hart, 6/21/23)
Storage in Lake Shannon.
Logging contributes to flooding.
Most snow since 1912? If correct
would tend to support theory 1917 and 1921 floods were caused more by rain
then snow.
Value of storage.
Interesting. Very interesting.
Not the log jams impeding the flow but the rip rap around the piers.
Impedes one sixth of the flow. Now here’s an argument that we
haven’t heard before.
|
5/5/27
CT
|
height of big
baker river dam to be increased 33 ft.
The Puget Sound Power & Light Company
is expending $200,000 according to announcement just made by President A. W.
Leonard, to practically double the water storage capacity behind the great Baker River
concrete dam at Concrete in Skagit
County. . .
. This enlargement of capacity is being accomplished by increasing the
height of the Baker
River dam by 33 feet
from its present 260 ft. to a total of 293 feet, making it one of he highest
concrete structures of the kind in the world. Water storage in Shannon
Lake created by the building of the Baker River Dam two years ago, is now
10,000 acre-feet but will be increased to 130,000 acre-feet by the
heightening of the dam. . . . The Baker River
sockeye salmon have a reputation far and wide as among the most toothsome of
the salmon tribe. But for the construction of this salmon ladder and
railway for the salmon they could not have survived the installation of this
mighty dam. A force of some 200 men is at work on these improvements at
Baker river.
|
Lower Baker Dam
Raised
Dam completed in 1925 at a height of 260
feet. Added another 33 feet.
10,000 acre-feet is a typo. Should be
70,000 acre-feet. (See 11/26/25 CT article.)
Baker River Sockeye was a much sought after
fish.
|
5/11/27
MVDH
|
Wants Upper Skagit
River Bed Cleaned -- River Not Navigable Except During High Water Season
A committee will also be selected to confer with officials of the power
company with reference to the use of the Baker river dam for flood control of
the Skagit river. President John Brisky of the Mount
Vernon Chamber of Commerce read a letter which he received from Hugo Bauman
of Rockport with reference to the condition of the Skagit
river during low water. Bauman said it was impossible to navigate the
river between Sedro-Woolley and Rockport during low water because of snags in
the bed of the river. He urged that the matter be taken up with the
government and that a snag boat be put to work, claiming that if the river is
navigable the year round, the Rockport community would benefit as well as the
county as large.
|
Lower Baker Flood
Control Sought
River impossible to navigate during low
water between Sedro-Woolley and Rockport. Wanted snag-boat to work
upriver.
|
5/12/27
Argus
|
danger of skagit flood believed to be averted
Judge J. M. Shields recalled that Indians
used to point to a bald spot on the hills back of Big Lake as a flood
barometer, declaring that when it was covered with snow at this time of year,
it was time for dwellers of the flats to caulk the seams in their row boats,
but that when the snow disappeared, the flood danger would be past.
Judge Shields said this morning the snow was almost gone.
It was announced that the
Puget Sound Power and Light Co. expects to lower the level of Lake Shannon,
behind the Baker
River dam, within a few
days.
With the lake down it will act as a safety valve should sudden hot weather
bring down the snow water. However, it is believed that the gradual
rise in temperature the past week has had the effect of melting a
considerable amount of loose snow and thus removing some of the danger.
|
Need
to see if this landmark is still there.
Lake Shannon to be lowered in May. Too
late but lowered anyway.
|
5/19/27
C.H.
|
new
construction on baker
river dam doubles
capacity
A few months ago
the Puget Sound Power & Light company started work on raising the height
of the big power dam on the Baker
River, just north of
town, and this work is now nearing completion. The dam has been raised 33 feet from
the former level and is now 293 feet high from the bottom of the river. While the new work is only a small
proportion of the total height of the dam, it just about doubles the water
storage capacity of the dam, the total being increased from 70,000 acre-feet
to 130,000 acre feet and so makes it one of the highest concrete structures
of its kind in the world.
… The new
construction on the dam was finished just in time to avoid the spring freshet
on the Baker River, the employees just having time
to pour the last of the cement and remove the tools before the water started
flowing over the dam, with the additional 33 feet in place. There is now about eighteen inches of
water falling over the dam, and the waterfall is one of the most beautiful in
the state. The construction work
here has been delayed by the high water, but some of the incidental work is
now being completed, and as soon as the freshet is over, the balance of the
work will be finished, including the apron in front of the dam which is
intended to spread the fall of the water and avoid all danger of having the
dam undermined. The apron is also
expected to greatly lessen the loss of salmon fry from the Baker
Lake hatchery, a considerable percentage of which is now killed
in passing over the dam. While the
number of fish killed has been comparatively low, considering the millions of
fry passing over the dam, it is reported that the construction of the apron
will reduce the loss by more than half.
… The Baker River salmon ranks as one of the best
fish in the world for table use, and but for the construction of the new plan
of ladder and fishway they could not have survived the construction of the
dam.
|
Baker River Dam
Dam height raised
33 feet to new height of 293 feet high.
Almost doubled water storage capacity from 70,000 to 130,000 acre
feet.
They built a new
discharge apron because they were worried about having the dam undermined
from the fall of the water.
|
1/3/28
C.H.
|
construction of new
diablo dam is going ahead fast
Reports from the
city of Seattle power project on the upper Skagit $3,000,000 dam at Diablo canyon progressing more
rapidly than was expected. The light snowfall this winter and the generally
good weather has been in favor of the contractors, Winston Bros., who have
rushed the work in every way possible to get the dam to a point where no
great damage could be done by high water. During the past week the foundations
of the dam were finished to the level of the bed of the river, so that the
only damage that could be done now by a sudden rise in the river would be the
work of removing the machinery and equipment above high water, and the delay
necessary until the water recedes.
… It is expected
that the work will be completed during 1929, unless something out of the
ordinary construction hazards happens to retard the work.
|
Diablo Dam
Diablo Dam cost
$3,000,000. Foundation of the dam
completed. Dam completion date
expected sometime in 1929.
|
1/5/28
CT
|
stone-webster will
spend over $2,000,000 near here – over a million and a quarter will be
spent at concrete and almost another million dollars on transmission lines;
new projects announced officially; big crew working out of sedro woolley
Insuring a large additional payroll for
Sedro-Woolley, during the next few months, the Stone-Webster ‘Co.
announced today its plans for improvements in the Baker River power plant at
Concrete, and the transmission lines through Sedro-Woolley, amounting to an
expenditure of more than $2,000,000. . . . During the year 1927
the height of the Baker
River dam was increased
about 33 feet enlarging the storage capacity at that point from 70,000 acre
feet to 130,000 acre feet, while the generating capacity was increased at the
same time from 40,215 horsepower to 53,620 horsepower.
|
More Improvements
to Lower Baker
New transmission lines and improvements to
power plant.
|
1/12/28
CT
|
high water in
skagit streams causes damage
Warm winds and rain Wednesday following
several days of warmer weather caused the Skagit river and its tributary
streams to overflow in several places east of this city, blocking the road
west of Hamilton
and undermining the Great Northern track between Lyman and
Sedro-Woolley. Other damage all along the river between here and
Marblemount was reported, but so far the main river had not flooded any
territory. Backwater and high water in the creeks was responsible for
most of the damage, together with slides along the road. . . .
Grandy creek is a foot higher than it has been in years, and washed out the
dam at the fish hatchery at Birdsview.
|
JANUARY 12, 1928
FLOOD
USGS 95,500 cfs at Concrete (32.9), no
figure given for Mt.
Vernon or
Sedro-Woolley.
Very small flood event.
|
1/19/28
CT
|
seattle
chamber to help get Skagit river relief
The Seattle Chamber of Commerce, answering
appeals from C. E. Bingham of this city, and Sibert
Eaton, local farmer, is making an effort to get federal aid in the fight
against the Skagit river. C. C. Finn,
prominent Seattle businessman, was in the city
this week, investigating conditions of the Skagit
river near here, on behalf of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce river and
harbor committee, and will make an effort to obtain a federal survey of the
river. . . . He was much impressed with the fact that hundreds of
acres of fine farmland are being washed down the river, and that the banks
need protecting and the channel needs straightening. The recent high water
did much damage. The big barn built by Henry Cooper at Lyman many years ago,
was washed into the river yesterday. The barn stood originally on a farm of
forty-five acres and only three acres are left now. County roads are being
undermined my the river, and the channel near Burns’ bar, east of this
city, is threatening hundreds of acres, and if permitted to continue, may
finally threaten the city of Sedro-Woolley.
|
Seattle To Help Study Skagit
Seattle Chamber of Commerce to help get
federal aid to “study” Skagit River.
Barn at Lyman fell into the river.
Used to sit on 45 acre farm. Only three acres left.
|
1/26/28
CT
|
h.m. eakin
consulted by congress on flood help
H.M. Eakin of
this city, who is recognized as a national authority on river flood relief
methods, has during the past few weeks been consulted frequently by
Congressmen, on his plan for stopping floods in the Mississippi
river basin. . . . Eakin,
who as a United States geologist, had many years of practical experience in
river affairs and is the author of textbooks and encyclopedia articles on the
subject, had had a recent article of his in the Thrift magazine, quoted in
over 150 daily papers of the United States. . . . “Nearly
everyone knows something of the levee method of controlling flooded streams,
but not so many know of the science of river morphology, which aims at so
regulating the force of waters that the river could not overflow its
banks.” . . . He views the construction of higher and
higher levees as useless, because in time the river will deposit between them
sufficient silt to raise the level of the water as high as they can be
built. . . . “The dynamic method of control involves the
management of stream energies to regulate erosion. We have in the river
itself a powerful engine of construction and destruction, the natural activities
of which are largely adverse.”
|
A Real Local Expert
One has to wonder why local forces
didn’t spend more time with Mr. Eakin.
We had a real expert in river morphology living in Sedro-Woolley and his name
doesn’t ever appear on any flood related document yet reviewed. Skagit County missed a golden opportunity.
|
3/7/28
MVDH
|
Flood Control Action Taken by Skagit
C.C. -- Resolution Asking Federal Aid is Passed Unanimously
Renewed activity in an effort to obtain federal aid for flood control of the Skagit river took the form of a resolution, which was
unanimously adopted at the monthly meeting of the Skagit County Chamber of
Commerce held at the Rexville grange hall last
night. The resolution was present by H. M. Eakin,
Sedro-Woolley, who is recognized as a national authority on flood
control. . . . A portion of the resolution follows: . .
. “Whereas, particularly in the case of the Skagit
river, business and property of extraordinary value per square mile over an
area of large extent have repeatedly been subjected to disastrous
overflow. Whereas the major floods of the Skagit, although the river is
only a hundred miles long, may equal in volume an eighth or more of the total
volume of a major flood on the Mississippi.
. . . Whereas the drainage capacity and regiment of the Skagit is deteriorating seriously from causes entirely
unrelated to the activities and responsibilities of the people occupying and
using the lands so menaced. Whereas, taxation to support protection
work has fallen heavily and is a serious burden upon such individuals and
communities. . . . Therefore, be it resolved that a memorial of these
facts be presented to our congressmen and senator in Washington,
D.C. to assist them in enlisting federal
support of flood control works on the Skagit
river.”
|
Skagit County Chamber Of
Commerce
Chamber was trying to help County obtain
federal aid for flood control.
Chamber felt drainage capacity of river had
decreased.
|
3/17/28
MVDH
|
Fraud Charged In Election of Dike District -- McBee
Contests Election of F.N. Haley in Padilla District
The action which was filed by Attorney Henderhon,
alleges that Haley was elected through unlawful and fraudulent means.
At the election in question, Haley received 33 votes for commissioner, while
Mr. McBee, who is still serving as a commissioner,
was given five votes. McBee complains that
Haley deeded a small portion of land to each of 31 persons, in exchange for
their votes. . . . All 31 people voted for Haley, but they were
not qualified to do so, according to McBee, for the
reason that they were not property owners. He claims that Haley
actually owned the property and that since, the 31 people held their small
portions in trust for Haley’s use. According to McBee’s complaint, there were only five qualified
to vote. Two of these were Mr. and Mrs. Haley and McBee
was a third. Had the election been legal, according to McBee, he would have received three votes to
Haley’s two. . . . The Padilla project was formed for the
purpose of reclaiming 10,000 acres of tide lands. A million-dollar
program was in prospect, according to McBeen.
|
Dike District Fraud
Only 5 people lived in District. 38
people voted.
|
9/27/28
CT
|
crew at work on river protection; plan new bridges
Under the direction of Skagit
county engineer’s office, a crew of men have been doing river bank
protection work east of Utopia. Piles are being driven in the slough at the
bend in the river and rip-rap work is being done as an added
protection. . . . Possible methods of straightening the
Nookachamps bridge on the Clear
Lake road are being
considered in the county engineer’s office. Several plans have been
presented, but no decision as to which one will be adopted has been made.
|
County Crews Working In Utopia
Skagit County crew working in Utopia to prevent
further bank erosion.
|
10/11/28
Argus
|
raging skagit rips out boom
Machinery Arrives At Newhalem For Third
Unit Of Gorge Power Plant
The Skagit
river which has been raising steadily the past week, reached almost flood
stage Monday night. During the night the water rose eighteen inches
which is almost unprecedented for early fall. The great wall of water
at the Diablo dam site washed away three lengths of boom and did damage
estimated at several thousand dollars to equipment.
|
Flood reached 74,300 cfs at Concrete at
level 29.94.
|
10/11/28
CT
|
Plan new jetty for ross slough to stop flooding
One of the greatest menaces to farm land in
the upper river valley, the washing away of land by Ross slough, in the
Utopia district, may be eliminated if the present plans of the county
commissioners are carried out. After a survey by County Engineer Knapp, the
county board this week, voted an emergency appropriation of at least $5,000
to be expended at once in the construction of a jetty across the head of Ross
slough. . . . The board voted to take the money for this work,
from the river improvement fund of some $9,000 which has been idle in the
bank for several years since its appropriation.
|
Ross Slough Jetty
County Engineer Knapp recommends jetty across Ross
Slough. Commissioners vote emergency appropriation of $5,000.
|
10/11/28
C.H.
|
seattle
dam on skagit damaged by high water
The warm rains
this week brought the Skagit to almost flood stage, but all the damage
reported is from the Skagit dam in Diablo
canyon, above Newhalem, where the cofferdam was washed out. Two large pumps,
worth about $800 a-piece, were taken out, and a car load of timbers was
washed away. No damage was done to the work on the main dam, and the work is
already going ahead as usual.
|
October 9, 1928
Flood Event
Diablo Dam
74, 300 cfs,
29.94 ft. at Concrete.
Cofferdam washed
out at Diablo.
|
1/3/29
C.H.
|
another big power
project in skagit
valley is planned
That another huge
power project is to be started in the Skagit valley was indicated Monday when
application was made to the state supervisor of hydraulics for a permit to
divert the waters of the Sauk
River for power
purposes. At the same time
preliminary plans were announced by Lars Langloe,
president of the Pacific Development company of Olympia, and R. K. Tiffany, consulting
engineer and former supervisor of hydraulics. These plants provide for the
development of a $3,000,000 hydro-electric project on the Sauk River,
to be located about five miles up the river from the old town of Sauk. Langloe and
Tiffany said they were acting on behalf of a company whose identity they were
not at liberty to disclose at this time.
An application was filed for a permit to impound 375,000 acre feet of
storage, water behind a dam 210 feet high and 1,000 feet long. The project will develop power for
industrial purposes only. The
company’s application requests authority to divert 1,000 cubic second
feet of water daily from the Sauk River, a tributary of the Skagit. The preliminary plans call for a
20,000 horsepower plant, with provisions for additional units to be added
later.
|
Sauk River Dam Proposal
Dam location to
be 5 miles above town of Sauk. Dam was to be 210 feet high and 1,000
feet long and would have impounded 375,000 acre feet of storage.
This is the same
river that has carried at least three volcanic lahars down the Sauk and into
the Skagit in the last 12,000 years.
|
1/10/29
C.H.
|
new fish hatchery
near concrete is planned for year
The budget of the
Puget Sound Power and Light company for 1929, which has been awaited by local
people who were anxious to learn what improvements, if any, were planned for
this vicinity, was released this week.
According to Mr. Sewell, manager of the Northern district, the budget
for 1929 is the largest in the history of the company and covers the most
ambitious program of power development and service extension and improvement
ever undertaken in a single year.
… The budget for
this year does not include any appropriation for any new dam or a new unit in
connection with the Baker river project.
An appropriation is made for the construction of a new fish hatchery
on the Baker river to obviate the necessity of transporting salmon over the
dam and to replace the government hatchery on the Baker river to obviate the
necessity of transporting salmon over the dam and to replace the government
hatchery which has heretofore been operated at Baker
lake. It is expected
the new hatchery will be built before the dam, and will probably be somewhere
in east Concrete. No information
has been received as to when construction work would start or in regard to
the size of the hatchery. This
item is included in an appropriation of $300,000 for betterments and
improvements to existing plants, and it is probably that some other work will
be done here during the year, in addition to the usual routine of operating
the plant.
|
Fish Issue
New fish hatchery
to replace the Baker Lake hatchery. Hatchery was planned to be in east
Concrete.
|
10/17/29
C.H.
|
flood surveyors locate power
site near faber ferry
A report just
released by the U.S. Geological Survey has attracted statewide attention to a
possible site for a huge power project on the Skagit River near the Faber
ferry, about four miles east of this city. Two proposed dam sites were examined
at this point in September, 1926, by J. T. Pardee,
a geologist of the Geological Survey, whose report indicated that the dam
sites were of doubtful value. At
each site one end of the dam would be built on land of un-cemented silt and
the depth to a solid foundation might be so great as to make the cost
prohibitive. However, this could
only be determined by thorough tests.
The recent flood control survey of the Skagit River
again called attention to the immense amount of power that would be available
if a dam 250 to 300 feet high were built at this point. It is estimated that such a dam would
create sufficient storage capacity to control the combined flood waters of
the Skagit and Sauk rivers and probably
produce all the power needed in this section of the country for many years to
come. … The development of a power project at
Faber would be a big boost for the entire Skagit valley and the construction
of the dam would eliminate all danger of any further destructive floods in
the Skagit River.
|
Faber Dam Proposal
USGS report looked at
site for Faber Dam four miles upstream of Concrete. Dam sites of “doubtful
value”. Would have to be
built on “un-cemented silt” and depth to bedrock might be so
great as to make the cost prohibitive.
These
“un-cemented silt” soils are no doubt volcanic soils from Glacier Peak.
We should try and find this report.
|