Photo Gallery

Army Corps of Engineers Historical Pictures Courtesy of the Corps of Engineers

Downtown Burlington in 1917 Flood	Downtown Burlington in 1921 Flood	Houses right up against levees that can fail (November 1949 Flood)

Fir Island Levee Failures in February 1951	Fir Island Dike Breach, 1990	Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge in November 1995 Flood

October 2003 Landslide near Newhalem	Upper Baker Dam October 2003	Town of Hamilton October 2003 Flood

Hamilton October 2003 Flood Line	Building Sandbag Wall in Downtown Mount Vernon 2003	Downtown Mount Vernon October 2003 Flood

	South Fork Skagit River Bridge at Fir Island Road in October 2003 Flood
For the story behind the pictures - please go HERE and search our document & historical newspaper archives.

Fox Collection Historical Pictures Unless specified otherwise - pictures are of Mount Vernon

1st St. Flood, late 1800s	1st Street - 1894 or 1897	1910 - Digging Drainage Ditch No. 18

Looking Across Skagit River to Westside From Mt. Vernon During 1913 Flood	1917 Flood Damage to Railroads A	1917 Flood Damage to Railroads B

1917 Flood Event - Unspecified Location	1921 Flood - Interurban RR Washed Out	1921 Flood - Fairhaven, Burlington

1921 Flood - Aerial View of Burlington	1921 Flood - Interurban Washed Out	1921 Flood - Fairhaven Looking West (in Burlington)

1921 Flood - Fairhaven & Gardner	1935 Flood - Westside Bridge & Logjam	1935 Flood - Unspecified Location

1935-Unspecified Location	1951 - Hwy. 20 Between Burlington - Sedro-Woolley	1951 - Lafayette Road, view towards Clear Lake Hill

1951 Flood - West Mt. Vernon - Front Street A	1951 Flood - West Mt. Vernon - Front Street B	1951 Flood - West Mt. Vernon

1951 Flood - West Mount Vernon - Division & Front St. Bill Harlow's Barber Shop	1951 Flood - West Mount Vernon - Division & Front St.	1951 Flood - West Mount Vernon - Division & Front St.

1951 Flood - West Mount Vernon - Division & Front St.	1951 Flood - Sandbagging in West Mount Vernon	1951 Flood - From the Westside Bridge

	1950s-1960s Aerial View Burlington
Undated Photographs

1st Street Looking North	1st Street - Unspecified Flood Event	Above Lincoln Hill - Looking Southwest

Aerial View - Burlington	Cap Decatuer's Home	Cleaning Up After Flood - First Street

Ct. House (Matheson Bldg) 1st. St. - Unspecified Flood Event		Looking down from 9th St. Lincoln Hill at Rt.

Looking N. on 1st. St. North	Looking Toward Lincoln Hill - Unspecified Flood Event	M.V. Floodwaters (Unknown st.)

Mill on riverfront near present site of Moose Hall 1990 - 01	Mill on riverfront near present site of Moose Hall 1990 - 02	North Mt. Vernon

North of Mt. Vernon	Railroad Depot at Whitney West on Hwy. 20	South M.V. - Unknown Year

W Mt. Vernon Looking Southeast [Towards Little Mountain]	Westside Bridge	Westside Looking Towards Hill
For the story behind the pictures - please go HERE and search our document & historical newspaper archives.

Dike District 12 Donated Pictures Pictures kindly donated by Dike District 12 Commissioner Chuck Bennett
1951 Flood

Sandbagging boils on levees.		Sandbagging a boil on Whitmarsh

Flood-Fighting the Old-Fashioned Way		Whitmarsh Road by Hanson Farm
1995 Flood

1995-11-20 Normal Clearance of BNRR Burlington-Mt. Vernon Bridge	1995-11-30 1230 Hours BNRR Burlington-Mt. Vernon Bridge	1995-11-30 1230 Hours BNRR Burlington-Mount Vernon Bridge

1995-11-20 Captain Bennett making sure water is wet	1995-11-30 Dike District 12 Levee at Nagitami's 12:30 PM	1995-11-30 12:15 PM Whitmarsh Rd

1995 flood damage Dike Dist. 12 levee-bank off Bennett Rd		1995 BNRR Bridge Damage
Miscellaneous

1990-11-25 Looking at Riverside Bridge from BNRR bridge	December 1994 Log Jam	December 1994 Log Jam - railroad crane clears logs from jam

Oct. 21, 2003 - sandbags along railroad paralleling St. Highway 20 between Sedro-Woolley and Burlington		Oct. 19, 2003 - log jam behind Burlington Northern Railroad bridge

Pictures of 2003 Flooding
Courtesy of the City of Anacortes

Intake Station, Oct. 17, 2003	Skagit River at 32 feet from Intake Station, Oct. 22, 2003	Skagit River from Intake Station Morning of Oct. 22, 2003

Flood-Fighting the Old-Fashioned Way (Same as in 1951)

Courtesy of Skagit County Public Works Department

Upper Baker Dam looking downstream	Upper Baker Dam looking upstream	Lake Shannon & Lower Baker Dam

Close-up of Lower Baker Dam	Picture of Hamilton	Skagit at Pipeline Crossing, Sedro-Woolley

Skagit at Sedro-Woolley Bridges	Oct 22 2003 log jam at Highway 9	10-21-03 Lafayette at Sterling

Looking at houses along Lafayette Road	Nookachamps looking back at Burlington Hill	Skagit at BNSF Bridge - Burlington

Looking upstream at Bridge Corridor' (I-5, Two Riverside and BNSF Bridges linking Mt. Vernon and Burlington)	Aerial photograph of Skagit River at Division Street Bridge looking into Mt. Vernon	Sandbagging along the Mt. Vernon floodwall (same as 1951)

Skagit River from Division Street Bridge	Skagit under Division Street Bridge	South Fork of Skagit (Fir Island at the top, Dike District 3 levee set-back project at left.)

Looking downstream at North Fork Bridge	Aerial photo of Fir Island & South Fork Bridge	La Conner


Courtesy of NOAA, Taken by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District on October 22, 2003 (For 79 more pictures, start HERE)

Gages Slough and Riverbend area	Mount Vernon looking upstream at Burlington, then Nookachamps	Skagit River downstream from Sedro-Woolley bridges; Nookachamps under water on the left

Cockreham Island levee breach	Bottom up: Skagit River, mouth of Baker, Town of Concrete, Lower Baker Dam and Lake Shannon	Upper Baker Dam

Diablo Dam	Counter-clockwise: Diablo Dam, Incline Railway and Town of Diablo	Ross Dam

2003 Samish River Flood Pics Photos by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)

Breech in Samish River Levee West of I-5	East End Thomas Creek	Home Near Farm to Market Road

Kellerher Road Near Green Road	Looking Southeast Over Mouth	North of Alger Looking South

Over I-5 Looking North	Quarry on Thomas Creek	Samish Mouth

SR-11 at Allen West Road	Thomas Creek Breech	Zoom of Breech in Samish River West of I-5
For the story behind the pictures - please go HERE and search our document & historical newspaper archives.

Pictures of 2006 Flooding
Courtesy of William L. "Willy" LaRue of the City of Anacortes

Anacortes Water Treatment Plant intake station	Sandbag Wall In Front of Water Treatment Plant	Soldiers placing sandbags around the Anacortes Water Treatment Plant

2006 Hamilton Post-Flood Photos

The consequences of building flat on the ground in a floodway.	"Smith House" after the Nov. 2006 flood. No water entered the house in a flood of 145,000 CFS at Concrete that didn't reach the top of the steps. However, in 1921, which USGS declares was 228,000 CFS - no evidence of water marks were found inside the house during 2006 & 2007 forensic studies. See Historic Flood Flows of the Skagit River & WJE Smith House Forensic Report

November 9, 2006 Mt. Vernon Photos by Josef Kunzler, Webmaster

Skagit River Jam Memorial	Panorama from Eaton's Books to Division Street Bridge looking southwest, Skagit River at 29' elev.	Photo taken 9:15 AM from Division Street Bridge, Skagit River at Mount Vernon at 29.260' elevation.

Photos of the sandbag wall built by the City of Mount Vernon

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Summer 2011 Levee Repair Pictures

What Is In A Levee 01	What Is In A Levee 02	What Is In A Levee 03

New material along Dike Dist. 12	Stewart Road Next Right	Train going over BNSF Bridge still showing scars from 1995 floods See also: Dike Dist. 12 1995 Flood Pictures, Jan. 2007 Angry Citizen

Corps Skagit River Stockpile Yard	Riprap along Dike District 17	New rock along Dike District 17
July 3 Levee Repair Update Pictures

Placing RipRap along the Skagit	Dike District 12's new material now is getting a riprap cover.	Looking across at Dike Dist. 17's levee improvements - see "Stewart Road Next Right" for what was last week
July 30 Levee Repair Update Pictures

An update on Dike Dist 12's material downstream of Old 99 Hwy Bridge	Placing rock - and note the big riprap - under I-5 Bridge spanning Skagit River	Backhoe going to get bigger riprap

Dike District 17's clearly been working right along. See a similar July 3 picture for what was a few weeks ago.	Looking upstream of Old Hwy 99 Bridge at Dike Dist. 12's new material	More rock & riprap along Dike District 17's levee north of Old Hwy 99 Bridge
August 13 Levee Repair Update Pictures

Seeding top of the riprap	Dike District 17's work downstream of Old Hwy 99 Bridge	Dike District 12 work downstream of I-5 Bridge

Placing riprap into the Skagit River	Riprap being placed into the Skagit	Big Rocks Going Into the Skagit River
August 26 Aerial Photos

Looking between Hwy 99 Bridge to the north & I-5 Bridge to the South	Big rocks waiting to be placed south of the I-5 Bridge on the Burlington bank.	Aerial photo of Dike District 12 levee work north of Hwy 99 Bridge.

11x17" of Burlington looking north	Dike District 12 hard at work	3 Bridge Corridor & Vicinity. Looking west towards Avon & points beyond.
September 26 Levee Repair Update Pictures

Looking Downstream of Hwy 99 Bridge at Levee Work	Another view of levee work between Hwy 99 Bridge & I-5 Bridge over Skagit River	Looking downstream from the Hwy 99 bridge at DD12's work

Look across at girth of DD12 new material between Hwy 99 & I-5 Bridges over Skagit River	Picture of DD17 riprap upstream of Hwy 99 Bridge	Look upstream at DD12-USACE work product on the Burlington bank from I-5 Bridge

Straight across the I-5 bridge perpendicular to the DD12 levee - note the logs and widened levee	Notice the hole in the DD12 levee - and the logs to be placed as Large Woody Debris/LWD for fish habitat.	Logs to be placed on top of the riprap as Large Woody Debris/LWD as taken from the I-5 Bridge over the Skagit
December 23 Levee Repair Update

Skagit at DD 17 new riprap	I-5 Bridge Burlington Abutment	Where the hole in the levee was...

DD17 Large Woody Debris (LWD)	DD12 Large Woody Debris (LWD) below the waterline	DD12 Large Woody Debris (LWD) intentionally placed in the Skagit River

	Dike District 12 gully raises serious questions about drainage...

Assorted Miscellaneous Pictures

Sept. 1963 Skagit Valley Herald pic: Skagit County Public Works Dump Truck putting riprap into Skagit River	Mount Vernon gauge on Skagit River, Picture by Webmaster	Ross Dam, 6 December 1975 Photograph courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives

Gorge (Crib) Dam, April 18, 1947 Photograph courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives	Gorge (Crib) Dam, April 18, 1947 Photograph courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives	Gorge (High) Dam, December 22, 2005

Skagit County Government iMap Aerial Photograph of the Dalles, 1937	Skagit County Government iMap Aerial Photograph of the Dalles, 2001	February 1951 flood photo of Conway, South Fork of Skagit to the left. Photo courtesy Skagit County Public Works

Ross Dam; March 25, 2006 Ross Lake elevation at time of picture: 1,501 feet	Upper Baker Dam; April 7, 2006 Baker Lake elevation at time of picture: 685 feet, NAVD 88*	Lower Baker Dam; April 7, 2006 Lake Shannon elevation at time of picture: 384.29 feet, NAVD 88*

Lower Baker Dam and Powerhouse on 7 April 2005 personal visit	June 21, 2011 Pic of Lower Baker Dam by Friends of Skagit County	July 4, 2011 Pic of Lower Baker Dam by David Varney of Brisbane, Australia

Andrew John Johnson Farm 17322 Beavermarsh Road Nov 1909 Flood. Courtesy of Granddaughter Mary Alice Basye. Farmhouse has never had water in it.	BNSF Bridge Photograph WSDOT	2002 Avon Bypass Proposal

Sedro-Woolley Looking East (1979)	PSE Digging A Hole In Lake Shannon Before Impending Flood Nov. 5, 2006 - Around 9 AM

Snohomish River 1995 levee break at Marshland - no overtopping levee.	Snohomish River 2006 flood at Marshland- according to The Everett Herald, overtopping levees did not fail.	USGS Hydrograph showing that overtopping levees can serve as a cap on river elevations as was the case in 2006 on the Snohomish River.

1932 aerial photo depicting old location of Sedro-Woolley bridge upstream of Great Northern Railroad Bridge. Also shows location of old sloughs.	Sterling Dam, which failed in the 1909 and 1917 floods. Constructed to keep floodwaters from filling up Gages Slough.	"Progress" Work on the Sterling Dam during March 24, 2008 for the purpose of replacing sewer lines alongside State Hwy. 20

April 2011 Aerial Photo of Burlington Looking North, Picture by Webmaster	April 2011 Aerial Photo of Burlington, Looking South Picture by Webmaster	April 2011 Aerial Photo of Padilla Bay, Picture by Webmaster
NAVD 88 is a particular datum used in calculating elevations. On October 1st, 2004 - the federal government and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) went to that datum for measuring elevations on the Baker River reservoirs. The old datum for elevations was NGVD 29. For the story behind these pictures - please go HERE and search our document & historical newspaper archives.*

Maps of the Skagit River Basin
By Skagit County Government

Skagit River Basin Overview Map (Pink shading is the FEMA 100 Year Flood)	History of Dike & Levee Failures in the Skagit River Basin	Skagit County Diking Districts
Corps of Engineers Modern Maps

Skagit River Basin Map	Lower Basin 100-year Floodplain in Blue and Bordered in Red	Tributary Flow Contributions to the 100-year Flood (In red, yellow signifies flows entering dams that Corps control during flood events)
Historic Maps

Original 1866 Lower Valley Map	Original 1866 Upper Valley Map + 1897 COE Map	Log Jams on the Skagit from mid-19th century map

1897 Corps of Engineers Map Map showing depths of the river and location of Beaver Marsh & Olympic Marsh wetlands.	1912 Corps of Engineers Sounding Map Also shows flood level of 1906 flood at downtown Mt. Vernon of 37.3. This is because it was based on low low water instead of sea level.	1982 Dames & Moore Map The green areas are Zone B’s, the purple area is Gages Slough (when in reality Gages Slough is high ground to high ground and the old river channel of the Skagit River 1,500 years ago). The handwriting on the map are figures that came from the much discredited Summary Report for DEIS - Hydraulic Investigations: Cascade Mall at Burlington of 7/12/1982.

	1973 Comprehensive Plan Soils Map Shows the three historical paths of the Skagit River.

If you have any pictures of your own, especially of historic floods, electronic or not - please e-mail the webmaster so we can post them to the website. We will give credit to the donor, unless requested otherwise.

Clear Lake Historical Association Pictures Courtesy of Deanna Ammons

1909 Flood - looking south from Beatty's Slough towards the Sedro-Woolley Rail Road Bridge	1909 Flood - Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge at Sedro-Woolley	1909 Flood - Northern Pacific Railroad Bridge at Sedro-Woolley
For the story behind the pictures - please go HERE and search our document & historical newspaper archives.

1917 Flood Photographs Donated by John Ruhlman

The 1917 Harmony area flood at the break at the far east end of the Calhoun Road.		The 1917 Skagit Flood looking eastward at the corner of Calhoun Road and Kamb Road. Included is the old Harmony Baptist Church and the old Harmony School (both torn down now.)
For the stories behind the pictures and more of them please go HERE to the historical article index

Concrete Herald Photographs

May 2, 1957	January 14, 1965	February 11, 1965
For the stories behind the pictures and more of them please go HERE to the historical article index

Skagit Valley Herald Skagit County Pictorial History, 2005 Edition Photographs

Early 1900s cable ferry across the Skagit at Sedro-Woolley	1916 - Mt. Vernon during the river freezing over	1926 - Devil's Elbow Bridge, near Newhalem

	1935 - Mt. Vernon during the flood See 1935 articles: 1/25/35 MVDH, 1/26/35 MVDH, 1/31/35 Argus, 1/31/35 Argus, 1/31/35 CT, 1/31/35 C.H, 1/31/35 C.H.

1980 Flood Pics Courtesy Skagit County Government

Hamilton Looking West	Hamilton Looking Northwest	Flooded Hamilton Mobile Homes

West Cockreham Island	A look east onto the Mount Vernon Revetment	Sandbags along the Mount Vernon revetment

Dike District 17 Pictures of 1995 Flooding

Crane working on BNRR Burlington-MV Bridge		Scour of Dike District 17 Levee just downstream of BNRR Bridge

Aerial Pictures Taken August 27, 2006
The Dalles, Concrete, Washington

Downstream of The Dalles	The Finstead Ranch	Downstream of The Dalles

The Dalles Bridge	The Dalles Looking South	The Dalles Looking East
Baker River

Concrete and Baker River	Baker River Mouth Into Baker Lake	Lake Shannon and Concrete
Sauk River

Mouth of the Sauk River	Suiattle River into Sauk River	Rockport and Howard Miller Bridge
The Volcanoes

Mount Baker		Glacier Peak
For more information - please go HERE and search our archives.

100-year Floodplain Simulations

Skagit County Public Works Department aerial depiction of 100-year flood from Burlington to Mount Vernon to Padilla Bay	Corps of Engineers 100-year floodplain map