The Dikes Gave Way: Skagit Farmland Under Water
High winds and tides broke dikes from Samish to Stanwood, covering thousands of acres and setting off a demand for a stronger state dike law.
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.
La Conner, Jan. 14, 1895.
To the Editor: Nearly all the tide lands of Skagit county are flooded. Dikes have broken at the Samish flats, Snohomish flats, the Delta and Stanwood flats. Thousands of acres between Edison and Stanwood are covered with water. Whole farms and plank roads are afloat. High winds and high tides have been encountered this month, causing higher tides than have been experienced for many years, and water has poured over nearly all of the dikes.
Fortunately the water on the farming lands near La Conner is fresh water from the Skagit river, which is very high, and it is thought but little damage will be done to next year's crops, and aside from the inconveniences, it may prove a blessing in disguise as there will be less danger of a flood in May or June.
It is hoped the legislature will pass a good dike law this season. The road law, ditch law and dike law all have some defects and need nearly the same remedy. We want such laws on these subjects as are simple enough for all to understand and strong enough to completely cover the subject, and constitutional enough to keep second-class lawyers from driving through every loophole. In brief, we need such laws on these subjects as all will accept, and stand by the results.
“Nearly all the tide lands of Skagit county are flooded. Dikes have broken at the Samish flats, Snohomish flats, the Delta and Stanwood flats.”
The Skagit delta still depends on dikes and drainage to keep farmland dry, and the tension between local flood control and state law is familiar. As sea-level rise and heavier winter storms increase pressure on those systems, the 1895 call for clear, enforceable dike law reads like a preview.
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