Arlo Hafen
Santa Clara

Written by Arlo Hafen

My farm is the last one on the north side of the Santa Clara before it crosses into Sunbrook. I don't know how this flood compares to the one in 1862, but it sure took a whack at my land and made a big problem --all of the sand came down from Santa Clara And Shem Dam. The silt built up so high, it raised it above my fence line and the barrier that was there. The first part didn't bother me as much. It was not washing at all. As it washed away the bottom and entered into the field, we had the whole stream. It was up above and coming, and it was eating the bank away. I had the whole bank wash away and I had a place I imagine was 5 or 6 feet deep and 20 to 30 feet wide. It cut it in half almost. I was just sick--actually I was --I was sick when I saw what it did.

The problem is the government wouldn't let you clean it out. I don't know how many years ago it's been, but about every three or four years I used to take a cat down through that part that was by me, and then the government got pretty hostile about it. When I called them and asked about putting the caterpillar in the creek and cleaning out those places where it was growing up, they said, "We'll send two men down." They came down and said, "Oh, this is wonderful, this is just like it ought to be. Don't you dare put a cat in that creek," So, I didn't. They were real sharp with me. I'd been doing that for several years. About every three years I'd had a caterpillar walk down through there and push out the stuff that was accumulating. I think if really ought to be emphasized that you can't live in a country, a really steep country like this where are are bound to be floods.....if you let the channel grow up with willows and trees. That's the biggest lesson that we have learned.
 

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