Spring Flood Event

As many of you have already heard, there is an unsuspected spring flood in the Snoqualmie River Valley. It has taken many farms by surprise and some veteran farmers estimate this to be one of the most costly floods yet. For us, it only means waiting a week for things to dry out and plant. It will delay the fava beans, taters, onions, and leeks for a few days at the most since we had decided to wait until April first to plant. From a topsoil perspective, many farms turn their fields after the last flood and as early as possible to aid in covercrop decomposition and getting their "green manures" turned under. With so much bare soil exposed, the flood will have washed away expensive seed and soil amendments (lime, fertilizer, compost) that required fuel, labor, and some contract work to prep and apply, yet it will leave some silt and nutrients in place to help return what it has taken.

Facing South towards the Snoqualmie River

It is hard to express our level of disappointment and concern about flooding in the Snoqualmie and other surrounding valleys. The increased occurrence of flooding is directly related to the destruction of our natural watersheds (housing development) and manipulation of how water moves from the hills to the valleys via Snoqualmie Falls. It is hard not to feel as if the ability to feed and sustain ourselves on a long-term scale will be perennially compromised by the short-term return that cement and cheap products can provide. It is easy to see this after reading F. H. King's Farmers of Forty Centuries. King spoke at length about how China and Japan have sustainably lived with annual flooding for 4000 years while producing organic food for a massive population, and now through economic development, any of us can see that their potable clean water and fertile land is disappearing at an alarming rate. As development continues and work upstream continues to manipulate river flow, flooding will continue to be more unpredictable and possibly even set more record levels. I can only hope that as time passes we bring the distant future into focus rather than our immediate and long-lasting actions.

Snoqualmie Hydrograph depicting Flow, Time, and Stage

To get updates on the river visit NOAA's Snoqualmie Hydrograph.

Having said this, we are still anticipating sunshine and a great season. For those interested in getting your hands dirty, we will be planting potatoes, onions, and leeks as soon as things dry out from the flood. Contact Mike or Allyn for further information at mike@rootsunderground.net.