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Crop loss from flooding estimated at
$4-million
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August 10, 2012 |
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While this
year's flood was the worst since Libby
Dam went in in 1972, it would have been
much worse without the dam. In 1949,
floodwaters completely surrounded
downtown Bonners Ferry. |
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The Kootenai River basin flooding of 2012 will
go down as the worst year since Libby Dam went
into operation in 1972, with initial damage from
crop loss alone estimated at $4-million, double
the losses calculated for the flood of 2006.
And that tally is likely to go higher as
additional losses are reported. Making the
situation worse, the timing of the flood means
that most farmers are unable to replant.
What made this year's flood so bad wasn't only
the high water level, said Boundary County
Emergency Management incident commander Bob
Graham, it was also the length of time the river
stayed high.
"We had water 2.6-feet over flood stage," Graham
said. "It lasted over 17 days, went down a bit
and then went back up. We still have water
standing."
The estimate doesn't include the considerable
damage done to the county's dikes.
"The dikes took a big hit," Graham said,
"especially up north where the back-water from
Kootenay Lake formed eddies that just sat there
circulating and caused considerable sloughing.
It was bad everywhere, but particularly up
north."
According to Graham, there have been no damage
estimates for the dikes because the Army Corps
of Engineers won't help make repairs unless
there in infrastructure damage.
"Along most of the dikes," he said, "there is no
real infrastructure, so the Corps doesn't get
involved. That leaves it to the individual
property owners, most of whom have already
suffered considerable loss. And if they can
afford to make repairs, they have to go through
all the permit requirements."
While this year's damage was excessive, some are
counting our blessings.
"This year would have been one of the worst
floods in history in Bonners Ferry," life-long
county resident and former Bonners Ferry Mayor
Darrell Kerby posted on Facebook, "thank God for
the Libby Dam."
The comment drew some shocked reactions
regarding the Army Corps management of the dam,
with some saying the Corps could have prevented
millions in crop loss had they managed for flood
control rather than fish recovery, prompting
Kerby to add a caveat; "I did not say anything
good about how it was operated, just thanking
God it was there. I promise, I have not gone
over to the dark side!"
Kerby said he remembers the great effort it took
to get the dam built, citing the efforts of
many, including Don Howe, Marion and Wally
Davidson, Pete Wilson, Dayton Douglas, Don Kerby,
Bob Pace, Harold Sims, Aug Baylon and U.S.
Senators James McClure and Len Jordan.
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Boating to
work in downtown Bonners Ferry wasn't
all that rare an occurrence before Libby
Dam was built. This picture was taken in
1916. |
"I was just thinking how terrible it would have
been to have to have taken a boat to get to my
office this year if the dam had not been there,"
he wrote. "As bad as the millions of dollars of
damage is, and it is really bad, without the dam
in place, the damage this year would have been
billions."
County commissioners met two weeks ago with
people from the several dike districts to
discuss damages, and plans are underway for them
to meet with Corps personnel from the Seattle
District office to review what happened this
year and what can be done to prevent such
serious flooding in the future.
Meanwhile, Graham encourages everyone who
suffered flood damage, be it crop loss or
property damage, to report their loss to the
Boundary County Natural Resources Conservation
Service so that more accurate damage estimates
can be derived.
You can contact them at their office, 6813 El
Paso Street, Bonners Ferry, or by calling (208)
267-2707. |
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