Come Hell and High Water: Mt. St. Helens and the Federal Response on the Lower Cowlitz River

摘要

Pioneers relied on the Cowlitz River for transportation but 20th Century residents value it for irrigation, recreation, and industrial uses. The federal government early assumed responsibility for channel maintenance, then flood control, and is now involved in both efforts. The 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption is a continuing disaster which caused severe short-term damages and might have long-term economic and psychological impacts. Questionnaires were mailed in February, 1982, to 192 property owners who participated in the lower Cowlitz River restorative program, and a 20% sampling of those who responded were telephoned in a follow-up survey in July, 1982. Residents were most concerned about the spoils' infertility and the loss of recreation on the river.