Flood has staggering impact on farmers, ranchers

Friday, Jan. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

As water recedes along the Truckee, Carson and Walker rivers, they're finding many irrigation systems, bridges, fences and dams were destroyed or badly damaged. Costs could run into the tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars, federal officials predict.

"Those next to the rivers have been washed out. Ditches are full of sediment, some fields are covered in sediment and debris four feet deep," said Dan Kaffer, fielding storm-related questions for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Bruce Park of the Dangberg Land Holdings north of Minden checked out the area after the storm, expecting to find an important diversion dam damaged.

The dam was OK, but the Carson River had shifted its flow about 75 yards west.

"The river moved," Park said. "Now we've got a dam without a river. That's a pretty interesting deal."

At the nearby Mack Ranch, the flooding Carson blew out a dam, took out levees, fences, irrigation ditches and water boxes. Fields are covered with silt and storm debris.

"All of our diversion (system) was completely destroyed," said Renee Mack. "It's quite a mess - not something that can be resolved overnight. There's just so many things that have to be rebuilt."

Workers at the Mack Ranch were able to move cattle to high ground, but now the main problem is getting water to the animals - a problem that's common throughout the area and that's likely to get worse.

"Thousands of cattle are without their water sources," Kaffer said. "As all the water that's out there dries up or freezes, the need for water will become more urgent."

Kaffer also said that in many areas the Carson River left its channel and is creating new channels. "It's a wreck," he added. "It's unbelievable."

Actual loss of livestock appears relatively light in most areas. Joyce Leyden of Reno Rendering was expecting a lot of dead animals to be delivered but said that's not the case.

'Evidently they saved them and we're glad," she said.

In Dayton, rancher Gene Minor lost a lot of fence and had property covered by three or four feet of water and debris.

"It'll be a big job, but we've been through it before," Minor said.