HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997 Flood Article #12WATERLOGGED PLAZA -- This is how the Plaza in
Ashland looked on 'Jan. 2 after heavy rain and warm
" .......... Mall 'Tribune / Jim' C~av,
weather melted snow in the mountains, turning Ashlan
Creek into a roiling torrent that flooded businesses.
Reviewing the lessons
Ashland apparently has still more to learn about flooding
By DANI DODGE
of the Mail Tribune
ASHLAND -- Mother Nature taught Ash-
land a few lessons in 1974, when the last big
flood struck the city. But where the city failed
to take heed it was rapped on the knuckles
in 1997.
Some areas of severe damage were revis-
ited on New Year's Day: flooding in the Plaza
· and the Ashlander Apartments, interrup-
tions in sewer and water service, washed-out
bridges and even a crush of gawkers that
hindered city efforts. But the severity of
many of those problems was diminished by
improvements..
With $5.6 million in repairs due on city
facilities alone, some Ashland residents feel
they're watching a replay of a horror movie.
"Jeez, when you get burned once you don't
put your hand on the stove again," said for-
mer City Councilman AI Willstatter, who
served from 1969 to 1972. "You put a guard
up or something to protect yourself.
"My only hope is rather than Band-Aiding
things as we have in the past, we will get a
long-range fix this time."
Situated at the bottom of a steep granite
canyon, it's not a question of whether Ash-
land will suffer flooding again -- but when.
City officials say the New Year's flood was
different than the 1974 wash-out. This one
catTied more silt, mud and debris such as live
trees. The 1974 flood was mostly just a whole
lot of water.
Improvements made since 1974 could have
handled just a water flood, said City Admin-
istrator Brian Almquist. But the force of
Photo from City of A.hla
Businesses on the plaza were swamped by floodwaters in 1974, too.
trees and tons of mud was beyond any rea-
sonable expectation, Almquist said.
"There are things that happen like this in
nature that you can't predict," he said.
But Jon Brazier, a Rogue River National
Forest hydrologist' said he believes the same
amount &debris-- or maybe less -- washed
down Ashland Creek this time. It just seem(
like more because when Ashland Cre¢
dammed behind the Plaza this year it dep~
ited more debris than in 1974, he said.
In several respects, the city did its hem
work after 1974.
see FLOODS, Page ~