The River That Ate Seattle: How High Water Threatened the Railroads and Left a Gift of Dirt
In December 1876, the Duwamish River swelled to dangerous levels, threatening the Seattle & Walla Walla Railroad embankments. But as the waters receded, they left behind a rich layer of alluvial soil that would soon feed the region's agricultural boom.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
THE RIVER — The high water is threatening the grade of the Seattle & Walla Walla railroad about six miles from this city: The danger of this can be obviated for the future, by sowing alfalfa upon the embankment at points threatened by water. The grass takes a deep root and materially strengthens the bank, so as to defy the wash of a current, in future.
RECEDING — From Jas. McNaught, Esq., we learn that the water in Duwamish river is fast receding, having fallen two feet in the past forty-eight hours. It will be within the banks of the river by this time to-morrow, if this cold weather continues. The snow is quite low down on the foothills and we fear another warm rain.
SUBSIDING — The river, in the past twenty-four hours, has fallen another two feet, and if the present clear weather holds, will soon fall back to its bed and leave the country, which it has overflowed, covered with a rich alluvial deposit. The race course, through all this inundation, has remained high and dry above the flood, and in consequence, will be in good condition for the December races.
Seattle's relationship with its waterways has always been one of negotiation and disaster management. In 1876, a flood threatened infrastructure; today, climate change threatens to bring similar or worse flooding events to the Duwamish Valley and downtown Seattle, reminding us that living on the edge of the Puget Sound is both a blessing for commerce and a risk for survival.
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