We love our Russian River for its eternal beauty, its nurturing forces, its quenching properties, its recreation and play and its renewing spirits. We love our river — except when we don’t. And right now we are distraught over the destruction its breached muddy torrents visited upon us yet again.
For all its positive powers, our Russian River also has a famous reputation for making national TV news on a too frequent basis. Last week’s “Flood of 2019” peaked at 45.4 feet, making it the sixth worst in recorded history. Early flood damages have been placed above $155 million, including major damage to 1,760 homes and almost 600 commercial businesses.
Flood victims can expect some government relief funds but the toll of lost personal possessions, interrupted livelihoods, uninsured properties and permanent displacements can never be restored. For some, another flood mop-up, mold patrol and “rip and replace” is just a nasty routine that comes with living in the river’s valleys and lower basin. We have had 36 major floods in just the last two generations since 1944.
For others, who just evacuated from their first Russian River or Laguna de Santa Rosa flood, the aftermath is more of shock than resignation. For veterans and newbies alike, just know that the next flood is on all our future calendars.
Of Sonoma County’s 1 million acres of land, almost 50,000 are mapped as flood zones where more than 10,000 people live in almost 3,000 homes. Most lack flood insurance and many of these residences are counted among the lowest cost rentals in our expensive housing landscape. Does that mean the cost of living in a flood plain also comes with savings?
Since the historic flood of 1986 (49.5 feet), hundreds of flood plain homes have been elevated, partly supported by FEMA grants. Also, it is estimated that Warm Springs Dam at Lake Sonoma last week held back 44,000 acre-feet of rainwater that could have made the flood up to four feet higher.
Living with our Russian River is an evolving and complex relationship. We live in a watershed that is 110 miles long, stretching from southern Mendocino County to the Pacific Ocean at Jenner. We also live along tributaries and creeks like Sulphur, Feliz, Sausal, Mark West, Mill, Felta, Porter, Green Valley, Fife, Austin and the Laguna de Santa Rosa.
In the summer many of these waterways go dry. Before Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino were constructed, the main stem of the river went dry, too. We need our winter rains. We just wish we wouldn’t get over 10 inches in three days. But that rain fills our reservoirs and wells. Some 600,000 people get their municipal water from the river, delivered by the Sonoma County Water Agency. Farmers irrigate with the river’s water. Almost all the region’s municipal and urban inhabitants flush their treated sewage into the river. The floods last week overwhelmed these systems and millions in treatment system damages occurred and untreated sewage raced out to sea.
Our Russian River giveth and taketh. Our regional recreation facilities and attractions are largely tied to our river, its watershed and our ocean coast with pubic parks, nature preserves and commercial camping and lodging. Outdoor recreation is a $731 million annual industry that supports 4,500 jobs. Historically, the river watershed has provided natural resources such as timber and gravel.
There are many ways our Russian River sets a balance and pattern of living for all of us, whether we live in the direct line of a historic flood or not. With the most recent flood waters in retreat — and before the next set of Pacific storms — now would be a good time to review our “balance” with our river.
Each flood — and now the wildfires, too — brings us new lessons. New mapping, land use updates, disaster preparation plans, public funding and additions to the history books should all be addressed in the coming weeks.
Next time could be next week.
— Rollie Atkinson
