asked.
Nate didn’t look at her as he answered. He seemed to be studying the erosion caused by the vast stream. “Underground streams inside the mountain. Most people don’t realize we have tunnels of rivers flowing beneath the ground. When those underground rivers can’t hold the water, they explode outward.”
Lily felt impressed by his knowledge. “I never knew.”
He pointed at a steep ravine leading downstream. “Look at that.”
Eddie lowered the chopper so they could get a better look. Entire uprooted trees, rootwads, boulders and mountains of dirt blocked the flow of the melt-off. Rushing water had started backing up behind the dam, caught in the narrow canyon with nowhere else to go.
Nowhere but down the mountain.
“Wow! That dam must be twenty-feet high,” Eddie exclaimed.
“At least.” Nate turned his head to look at Lily. “This is what I was trying to describe to you and Hank. This is the beginning of a debris torrent.”
“But where did all those dead trees come from?”
“About ten years after timber is cut, the roots of the trees decompose. Heavy rains and snow push the dirt and rootwads down into the ravines below where they cause debris dams. That’s why I shut down timber harvest here in this area of the mountain after I arrived in Jasper. We can use our natural resources, but we need to manage them effectively so they don’t create a worse problem. This area has been overharvested for trees, causing erosion.”
Lily widened her eyes. Never before had she realized the full impact of what humankind did to cause mayhem to the environment. She was now a believer. She had to tell Dad about this. Because she’d seen it with her own eyes, he’d surely believe her. “Is Emerald Ranch safe?”
They flew over the mountain ridges above the ranch. From this distance, she got a great view of the house, barn, green fields and corrals with frolicking colts and fillies. Absolutely stunning in its beauty.
Lily held her breath and awaited Nate’s verdict.
“I don’t see anything yet,” he finally said.
Yet! Lily released her breath in a slow exhale. “Do you think that could change?”
“Yes, it could. I’ll fly up here again in two weeks, just to make sure nothing develops in the meantime.”
What a relief. Knowing Nate was here to watch over the ranch gave Lily a sense of security she hadn’t felt in years. “But what will happen with the debris dam we saw above Bill Stokely’s place?”
Nate swiveled around to stare out the window again. “With all the pressure the water behind the dam is creating, the Stokelys better watch out if it ever breaks loose.”
Eddie shook his head. “I’d sure hate to find myself in the middle of its path.”
Lily agreed. “Can the dam be dissolved somehow, so it won’t be a danger to Bill and his family?”
Nate shook his head. “Nope. There’s no way to remove the dam without it giving way. But Bill can move until the flood waters have absorbed into the earth and dried out.”
That wasn’t what any rancher wanted to hear. No man wanted to lose his ranch. It was his home and livelihood. But Lily figured moving his livestock and family was better than losing their lives.
“We will have to go down and warn them.” Nate pointed toward the valley floor.
The chopper headed down the mountain, following the route the flood would take if it should break through the dam. Wide fields opened to their view, surrounding the barn and house of the Stokelys’ place. Even here, the irrigation ditches had overflowed, flooding the alfalfa so the brown Angus cattle huddled together in dry corners as they grazed. Emerald Ranch was in the same predicament, except they didn’t have any cattle to worry about.
Just world championship quarterhorses.
“Can you set the chopper down in that empty field over there?” Nate pointed to a dry area uninhabited by livestock.
“You bet.” Eddie did as told. Within minutes, the chopper bumped down, but Eddie
Nate didn’t look at her as he answered. He seemed to be studying the erosion caused by the vast stream. “Underground streams inside the mountain. Most people don’t realize we have tunnels of rivers flowing beneath the ground. When those underground rivers can’t hold the water, they explode outward.”
Lily felt impressed by his knowledge. “I never knew.”
He pointed at a steep ravine leading downstream. “Look at that.”
Eddie lowered the chopper so they could get a better look. Entire uprooted trees, rootwads, boulders and mountains of dirt blocked the flow of the melt-off. Rushing water had started backing up behind the dam, caught in the narrow canyon with nowhere else to go.
Nowhere but down the mountain.
“Wow! That dam must be twenty-feet high,” Eddie exclaimed.
“At least.” Nate turned his head to look at Lily. “This is what I was trying to describe to you and Hank. This is the beginning of a debris torrent.”
“But where did all those dead trees come from?”
“About ten years after timber is cut, the roots of the trees decompose. Heavy rains and snow push the dirt and rootwads down into the ravines below where they cause debris dams. That’s why I shut down timber harvest here in this area of the mountain after I arrived in Jasper. We can use our natural resources, but we need to manage them effectively so they don’t create a worse problem. This area has been overharvested for trees, causing erosion.”
Lily widened her eyes. Never before had she realized the full impact of what humankind did to cause mayhem to the environment. She was now a believer. She had to tell Dad about this. Because she’d seen it with her own eyes, he’d surely believe her. “Is Emerald Ranch safe?”
They flew over the mountain ridges above the ranch. From this distance, she got a great view of the house, barn, green fields and corrals with frolicking colts and fillies. Absolutely stunning in its beauty.
Lily held her breath and awaited Nate’s verdict.
“I don’t see anything yet,” he finally said.
Yet! Lily released her breath in a slow exhale. “Do you think that could change?”
“Yes, it could. I’ll fly up here again in two weeks, just to make sure nothing develops in the meantime.”
What a relief. Knowing Nate was here to watch over the ranch gave Lily a sense of security she hadn’t felt in years. “But what will happen with the debris dam we saw above Bill Stokely’s place?”
Nate swiveled around to stare out the window again. “With all the pressure the water behind the dam is creating, the Stokelys better watch out if it ever breaks loose.”
Eddie shook his head. “I’d sure hate to find myself in the middle of its path.”
Lily agreed. “Can the dam be dissolved somehow, so it won’t be a danger to Bill and his family?”
Nate shook his head. “Nope. There’s no way to remove the dam without it giving way. But Bill can move until the flood waters have absorbed into the earth and dried out.”
That wasn’t what any rancher wanted to hear. No man wanted to lose his ranch. It was his home and livelihood. But Lily figured moving his livestock and family was better than losing their lives.
“We will have to go down and warn them.” Nate pointed toward the valley floor.
The chopper headed down the mountain, following the route the flood would take if it should break through the dam. Wide fields opened to their view, surrounding the barn and house of the Stokelys’ place. Even here, the irrigation ditches had overflowed, flooding the alfalfa so the brown Angus cattle huddled together in dry corners as they grazed. Emerald Ranch was in the same predicament, except they didn’t have any cattle to worry about.
Just world championship quarterhorses.
“Can you set the chopper down in that empty field over there?” Nate pointed to a dry area uninhabited by livestock.
“You bet.” Eddie did as told. Within minutes, the chopper bumped down, but Eddie
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