The 1000 Year Flood November 1959
The area around Garland Mineral Springs is a modest alluvial plain with about 12–18 inches of topsoil over river rock from previous periods. The flat area is populated with numerous trees that are several hundred years old, and some stumps with age rings exceeding 1,000 years. The 40-acre historical site at Garland Mineral Springs showed no signs of flooding, probably for several hundred years or more, prior to 1959.
In November of 1959, the “Perfect Storm” of events occurred, beginning the rapid degradation of the North Fork of the Skykomish River.
- Heavy early snowfall had built up a substantial snowpack of 2–3 feet.
- A three-day uninterrupted downpour dumped several inches of rain on the North Cascades range.
- A 60-degree Chinook wind blew through the valleys.
The resultant 100-year high flood took on the character of a 1,000-year high as rapidly melting snow poured into already flooded rivers. Stumps, logs, slash, and debris were swept downstream at high velocity.
The river began to rise far above anything ever evidenced for many hundreds of years, reaching a depth of about 3 feet in the previously untouched Garland Springs, and running swiftly. Wild animals were heard screaming as they were swept downstream. Large trees, vehicles, and cabins were swept by.
The 100-foot by 40-foot, three-story lodge at Garland Mineral Springs shuddered as it was pummeled by enormous fast-moving full-sized trees. After midnight, the pummeling stopped.
The next morning, the dozen or so survivors found that a large log jam had formed where the river should be, diverting it directly into the riverbank and high ground. A second log jam had formed just ahead of the lodge, saving the occupants.
The Lodge Fire January 1961
We had a substantial low pressure boiler to provide steam heat and hot water for the lodge. It was about 7' long and about 5' wide. We burned up to 1 cord of wood daily during the coldest part of the winter. We cut dead trees from our land and were allowed dead firewood from U.S.F.S. land (you probably remember that). When cutting alder or deciduous trees, we would fell them in winter with the sap down so they would be dry. The sap would already have receded in the larger evergreen trees that were no longer living. The daily cutting, splitting and carrying wood in the winter months was quite a project, mostly in a drizzle and sometimes in snow. In the evening, we would bank the wood and it would provide heat through most of the night. Early in the morning, we would use some cardboard to generate a lot of heat and fast start-up for the main fire. This would produce steam heat in about 10-15 minutes. At one time, we learned how to place wet wood on top of a strong fire. The water would generate hydrogen and oxygen, with a hot blue flame. After the fire consumed the hydrogen and oxygen from the water, the dry wood would then burn in a normal manner. This extended the burn-time by some additional measure, possibly an extra hour.
A few days prior to the January 1961 fire, my father Cameron removed the protective screen from the top, and had cleaned the chimney. The screen was scheduled for re-installation that coming Saturday, as he was busy working on a local construction project to supplement our meager income. The weather was clear, and there had been no snow for several days. The cedar shake roof was tinder dry. At mid day, the lodge was getting pretty cool, so my mother Medora put some cardboard in the boiler to generate some quick heat and allow the wood to get going. She was unaware that the screen had not been replaced. Some glowing embers escaped and ignited the roof.
The driver of a passing logging truck stopped to advise that the roof was on fire and assist with evacuation. Firefighting hoses were frozen, and water pressure was generally inadequate to reach the roof at that time of the year. A few records were saved, but not much else. All occupants escaped unharmed. The lodge was fully involved within minutes. As the shell burned away, the extremely robust structure inside was revealed. It had been an extremely stout building, with massive timbers throughout.
I arrived home late from school that night to find no lodge; only an eerie glow as the burning embers illuminated the still-standing chimney. The family moved into round cabin #1. I slept in the loft. We replaced our clothes from Goodwill while the American Legion in Everett donated $200 to help us to get some dishes and cooking utensils. Many friends, relatives and strangers donated clothing, furniture and food.
The River
The North Fork of the Skykomish River in Snohomish County is famous for its summer Steelhead runs and as a major Salmon spawning ground. It is a large tributary to the Snohomish River. During the past 65 years, the river has undergone substantial man-induced change. This has led to heavy downstream silting, possible total loss of the summer Steelhead run, significant degradation of Salmon spawning, and substantial loss of private and public land.
Fisheries and Forest Service regulations became increasingly difficult and prevented us from keeping the river under control. After the 1,000 year high in 1959, the river began braiding back and forth, taking mature old growth trees out on one side, then the other. Each year, 10 to 20 % of the salmon eggs are stranded, which appears to be a significant contributor to declining stocks.
Recent discussions with Fisheries indicated that there will probably be several years of study, followed by state and federal funding for a multi-million dollar restoration project to keep a consistent salmon spawning ground. It appears that some official don't like rip rap on banks, and gabions are not often allowed as the fish fins can become trapped in them. Fisheries does like what they call "fish friendly" banks made from logs and stumps that provide shelter for the fish.
The section of the N. Fork of the Skykomish River that runs through Garland contains hundreds of thousands of board feet of this log debris piled up in the braids throughout the channel. Dragging them to the banks and tying them in with cables would provide dirt cheap, fish friendly embankments that would do three things. First, it would provide a stable channel for the salmon to hatch. Second, it would stop the braiding. Third, it would protect the valuable mineral springs that are being decimated by the flooding.
During the years, the river has taken on a continuous braiding cycle, eroding one bank, then the other. Debris and many standing old-growth trees are swept downstream each year.
The summer Steelhead run may be extinct, and Salmon eggs fail to hatch as the river continually moves to new courses. The historic Garland Mineral Springs have been severely damaged and may soon be lost to the river.
The Mineral Springs
Are the mineral springs a valuable resource? Recent discoveries by two Arizona State University scientists have found that mineral water and mineral mud from deep springs like Garland have some chemical combination that kills MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). MRSA is a devastating problem invading hospitals around the world. We had known for some time that the Garland Mineral Mud had some spectacular healing qualities, but did not know why. The 25-million gallons of mineral water produced annually, just might be of some benefit to society. If we can save it.