Floods: Farmington's periodic scourge
Floods: Farmington’s periodic scourge BY BOB MICKELSON Clipper Staff Writer FARMINGTON —Lodged in the collective memory of any community, particularly those with agrarian backgrounds, are Mother Nature’s influences upon it, especially the ugly ones. For Farmington, Utah, one of the worst occurred Aug. 13, 1923, when a pair boiling, black storm clouds collided over Farmington Canyon. The joining unleashed blinding flashes of lightning, deafening rolls of thunder and cascading sheets of rain. It also produced one of Utah’s most disastrous and deadly floods. The muddy, boulder-bolstered torrent caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to Farmington and killed seven people — a man, his wife and five Boy Scouts. Debris flows, triggered during a cloudburst, and emanating from mountain canyons, were not unknown in the Davis County area. What made the 1923 event so destructive, and
inevitable, was the depletion of plant cover by over-grazing and fire, or so ruled the 1930 Flood Commission. Margaret Steed Hess, author of the book “My Farmington,” and witness to the the 1923 disaster, reported that along with the sounds of thunder and rain, “a terrible rumbling noise north of us started with the downpour of rain and that terrible rattling and crashing sound, like the whole mountain was being washed down the canyon.” She wasn’t far from right. The water and debris swept down the steep and narrow canyon to where five Boy Scouts from Salt Lake City and Wealthy Clark and her husband, Walter Wright of Ogden, were camped.Their bodies were discovered the next day. According to Hess, Clark’s body was washed clear back to the bridge over Big Creek near where she once lived with her parents. The bodies of the Boy Scouts were solemnly laid out on the court house lawn to wait for identification by their folks from Salt Lake. That day also brought to light the full extent of damage to the city. Lagoon Amusement Park was flooded and filled with debris. Some visitors had to rescued from trees and atop picnic tables. Many residents were marooned in the town for as much as a week as muddy debris and scattered boulders blocked most roadways. At least one other death could be attributed to the disaster — a Mr. Christensen apparently died of a heart attack while trying to save some
Residents gathered to survey the damage after flood waters receded in 1923.
Davis County Clipper
people who lived east of the park. But along with tragedy there was also triumph. Dr. R. Clarence Robinson was credited with saving two lives during the flood. The effort almost cost him his own life. He later received a Carnegie bronze medal for his courageous acts. At least a half dozen homes were damaged or destroyed along with nearly 200 acres of prime farm land.A lot of livestock was also lost. Sadly, the 1923 flood would not be the last suffered by Farmington and surrounding areas. A smaller, but still nasty occurrence was recorded in 1930. Less damage was recorded and no human lives lost. The last major incident took place in June 1983. Many of today’s residents remember it as the “Rudd Mud Flood” after the canyon it poured down. Again, a heavy thunderstorm proceeded the event, but this time rapid Floods swept debris out of snow melt helped saturate mountain canyons and through and loosen the soil. Farmington in the flood of 1923. The wall of mud and rock ground its way through a score or more of homes, region known by some as the “hog chasing some people out the front back,” one can still see the imprints of door as it was entering the back. As in the CCCs efforts. A flood control basin was also dug 1923, roads were clogged with debris and some people had to be sheltered out at the base of Farmington Canyon. Ironically, it wasn’t until the flood by friends, family or the Red Cross. And, just like ‘23, city residents, of 1983 it actually fulfilled the purpose many organized through local LDS for which it was built, thus preventing wards and stakes, accomplished much an even larger disaster. A flood conof the clean-up. Responsibility for pre- trol basin was later built at the base of venting future floods, however, fell to Ruddy Creek. Some sections of the city, however, state and local authorities. Following the 1923 floods, the job remained vulnerable, as witnessed of restoring washed-away hillsides during a huge thunderstorm in 2003 was given to the CCCs, or the Civilian and in the winter and spring following Conservation Corps, a federal work a major mountainside fire in 2004. program for young men organized More debris basins and more and bigduring the Depression years by ger storm drains are being added as part of major citywide project. Franklin Roosevelt. Over time, Mother Nature may Between 1933 and 1939 the young men contour-terraced 1,300 acres of have landed its share of body blows, denuded mountainside. They then but the city and people of Farmington, seeded the terraced areas with a vari- have, so far, managed to dodge that ety of perennial grasses and rye. knockout punch. Looking up Farmington Canyon, at a
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inevitable, was the depletion of plant cover by over-grazing and fire, or so ruled the 1930 Flood Commission. Margaret Steed Hess, author of the book “My Farmington,” and witness to the the 1923 disaster, reported that along with the sounds of thunder and rain, “a terrible rumbling noise north of us started with the downpour of rain and that terrible rattling and crashing sound, like the whole mountain was being washed down the canyon.” She wasn’t far from right. The water and debris swept down the steep and narrow canyon to where five Boy Scouts from Salt Lake City and Wealthy Clark and her husband, Walter Wright of Ogden, were camped.Their bodies were discovered the next day. According to Hess, Clark’s body was washed clear back to the bridge over Big Creek near where she once lived with her parents. The bodies of the Boy Scouts were solemnly laid out on the court house lawn to wait for identification by their folks from Salt Lake. That day also brought to light the full extent of damage to the city. Lagoon Amusement Park was flooded and filled with debris. Some visitors had to rescued from trees and atop picnic tables. Many residents were marooned in the town for as much as a week as muddy debris and scattered boulders blocked most roadways. At least one other death could be attributed to the disaster — a Mr. Christensen apparently died of a heart attack while trying to save some
Residents gathered to survey the damage after flood waters receded in 1923.
Davis County Clipper
people who lived east of the park. But along with tragedy there was also triumph. Dr. R. Clarence Robinson was credited with saving two lives during the flood. The effort almost cost him his own life. He later received a Carnegie bronze medal for his courageous acts. At least a half dozen homes were damaged or destroyed along with nearly 200 acres of prime farm land.A lot of livestock was also lost. Sadly, the 1923 flood would not be the last suffered by Farmington and surrounding areas. A smaller, but still nasty occurrence was recorded in 1930. Less damage was recorded and no human lives lost. The last major incident took place in June 1983. Many of today’s residents remember it as the “Rudd Mud Flood” after the canyon it poured down. Again, a heavy thunderstorm proceeded the event, but this time rapid Floods swept debris out of snow melt helped saturate mountain canyons and through and loosen the soil. Farmington in the flood of 1923. The wall of mud and rock ground its way through a score or more of homes, region known by some as the “hog chasing some people out the front back,” one can still see the imprints of door as it was entering the back. As in the CCCs efforts. A flood control basin was also dug 1923, roads were clogged with debris and some people had to be sheltered out at the base of Farmington Canyon. Ironically, it wasn’t until the flood by friends, family or the Red Cross. And, just like ‘23, city residents, of 1983 it actually fulfilled the purpose many organized through local LDS for which it was built, thus preventing wards and stakes, accomplished much an even larger disaster. A flood conof the clean-up. Responsibility for pre- trol basin was later built at the base of venting future floods, however, fell to Ruddy Creek. Some sections of the city, however, state and local authorities. Following the 1923 floods, the job remained vulnerable, as witnessed of restoring washed-away hillsides during a huge thunderstorm in 2003 was given to the CCCs, or the Civilian and in the winter and spring following Conservation Corps, a federal work a major mountainside fire in 2004. program for young men organized More debris basins and more and bigduring the Depression years by ger storm drains are being added as part of major citywide project. Franklin Roosevelt. Over time, Mother Nature may Between 1933 and 1939 the young men contour-terraced 1,300 acres of have landed its share of body blows, denuded mountainside. They then but the city and people of Farmington, seeded the terraced areas with a vari- have, so far, managed to dodge that ety of perennial grasses and rye. knockout punch. Looking up Farmington Canyon, at a
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