squakmountain_bk640.jpg
Mary Celigoy boards horses on her 65-acre property in May Valley, where her family ran a dairy farm in the 1940's. The property could be lost to flooding if a logging company moves forward with plans to clear-cut 216 acres of forest on Squak Mountain. (Photo: Brandi Kruse/KIRO Radio)

Residents, activists fight to protect Squak Mountain forest from logging

BY Brandi Kruse  on February 6, 2013 @ 6:40 pm (Updated: 6:29 am - 2/7/13 )

Just north of East Renton Highlands, residents of May Valley have become accustomed to flooding. The valley is nestled along May Creek, which has risen considerably over the past several years.

Mary Celigoy boards horses inside a big red barn on her 65-acre property. In the shadow of Cougar Mountain, the land has been in her family since the 1940's when her mother and father ran a dairy farm.

"My dad and his dad hand built the barn," she said. "It's just been part of us forever."

Celigoy, 53, has watched over the years as May Creek slowly outgrew its banks. Acres of land that once provided horses plenty of pasture for grazing are now underwater for months out of the year.

"We're going to see the day when the water doesn't leave," Celigoy said. "That's my fear, and I think it's a reality if we get any more water than we do."

But just last week, Celigoy and her neighbors learned that the flooding could get much worse.

A few miles downriver, David Kappler came across a pink ribbon tied to a tree branch as he hiked up the southwest slope of Squak Mountain.

"Timber Harvest Boundary," the ribbon read.

It is one of many ribbons that mark 216 acres of land purchased by Eatonville-based Erickson Logging, Inc.

The land borders King County's Cougar-Squak Mountain recreational and wildlife corridor. With the expectation of a 103-acre parcel near top, the forested area was once owned by the Issaquah Camping Club.

Kappler, president of the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, has joined together with concerned citizens and conversation groups to prevent the area from being logged.

"There's definitely a significant part of the land that should be left alone," said Kappler, who fears that a clear-cut of the area will worsen flooding in May Valley by allowing more water to drain into the creek.

"Most logging areas are not faced with a May Creek flooding issue like we have here and you're not talking about a forest that is so close to how many millions of people?" he said. "So, there's a lot of recreational potential here."

King County, which has received a great deal of feedback from concerned citizens, has expressed an interest in using the forest for recreation and is in negotiations with the logging company to buy the land.

"There is quite a bit of public open space in this area and we are interested in acquiring this property for additional open space as well as access to existing trails in the area," said Doug Williams, spokesperson for the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

Williams said the county does not have enough resources to purchase the land and will apply for grant funding.

Kurt Erickson, who owns Erickson Logging, said if the county is unable to come up with money in a reasonable time frame, he would consider selling the land to a developer. However, he told KIRO Radio he would be willing to trade the land to the country in exchange for a forested area elsewhere.

Meanwhile, residents of May Valley continue to worry about the possibility of increased flooding.

Jeffrey Walker, who lives next door to Mary Celigoy, has considered postponing renovations to his home.

"My wife and I sort of wanted to redo our kitchen," he said. "But we're kind of wondering, 'Is this just throwing money away? Is this ultimately going to be a loss for us?'"

Celigoy said if she loses more of her pasture to flooding, she may have to consider selling her family's farm.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (17)


  • Add A Comment

  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Flooding? Lots of rain causes flooding.
    February 7, 2013 5:47 am
    We get lots of rain around this area.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sambra27 wrote...
    ...
    February 7, 2013 11:12 am
    Perhaps we should pave the whole area then.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zoeller wrote...
    "the flooding could get much worse."
    February 7, 2013 6:26 am
    And it could stay the same. So what is the point? Log baby Log."Kappler, president of the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, has joined together with concerned citizens and conversation groups to prevent the area from being logged." Of coarse they did just as long as they can force the tax payers to cover their tree hugging schemes.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WAmovesRight wrote...
    I'm all for logging...
    February 7, 2013 7:16 am
    ... It's a needed, viable, and renewable idustry...

    That said, I can see the residents' concern as well. Not for the tree-huggers... they despise most if not all logging & industry... but, if it can be shown that logging this area will likely increase flooding in populated areas, that is a real concern

    It sounds like Mr. Erickson is a very reasonable man who's willing to seel or trade. He just wants to run his business. I hope they don't try to villainize him.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cougsfan34 wrote...
    Flooded
    February 7, 2013 8:07 am
    So, your homes are built at the lowest point the valley and your complaining about the flooding? When I bought my land I made sure of two things. 1. It wasn't in a valley 2. There as no seasonal creek that make my land a wetland. The reason May creek keeps flooding is because the county changed it's water usage ordences in the 70s. How many of those farms tapped into that creek over the years before it become almost illegal? Now it is free flowing and back to naturally flooding the valley floor. Those floods deposit natural silts and other things in the valley floor that make it healthy.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    Residents, activists fight to protect Squak Mountain forest from logging
    February 7, 2013 8:22 am
    Take up a collection, purchase the land if you wish. Just curious if there is a game played at KIRO where the reporter with the allegedly saddest story of the weeks wins a prize???
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Nickatnyt wrote...
    I'm seeing land that is water-logged already
    February 7, 2013 8:44 am
    Looks like y'all were cool with living in a swamp as it is, so why would a little bit more water matter?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Bucket Dad wrote...
    An old saying
    February 7, 2013 8:48 am
    What's the difference between the developer and the conservationist? Same guy, just before or after he moves into the house.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    This isn't a matter of developers vs 'tree huggers'. ....... This is a matter of PROPERTY RIGHTS>
    February 7, 2013 9:37 am
    The same people who will be flooded out here are the SAME property owners who stood against King County's land grabbing 'sensitive areas ordinance' a few years ago.

    The specific rights involved are akin to riparian water rights. Basically the same rights that protect all you city dwellers from your back yard being flooded after a neighbor puts in a pool or completely changes drainage for a new garden. ... If whatever you do to YOUR property causes harm to your neighbors' down stream, you CAN NOT DO IT. I think that kinda goes back maybe 1000 years in English common law.

    Granted, sometimes developmental requirements and restrictions are way overboard. But it sounds like David Kappler, et al, had best find a GOOD real estate attorney - and fast.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    216 acres is nothing
    February 7, 2013 10:05 am
    Logging that parcel will make no difference to flooding in that area. My property joines the Vail tree farm (480,000 acres) and large areas have been logged within sight of here. There ahs been no significant change regarding flooding. Those folks are just being drama queens and are more concerned with thier views than anything. I'll bet her family has added to the flooding problem by developing that farm.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    More
    February 7, 2013 10:09 am
    Look at the grade that the house sits on. How much fill was brought in to place that house? Looks to me like flooding has been an issue for a very long time...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    More, More
    February 7, 2013 10:11 am
    Look at the driveway to the barn.....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sambra27 wrote...
    deltta
    February 7, 2013 11:27 am

    I don't know that I see the point of your two points below. 1) it does not look like any fill which may have been brought in to place the house affected the existing grade. If anything the barn and the house were both built on a simple footing foundation with tilt-up walls or a slab-on-grade foundation. Both require an overexcavation to suitable subgrade, so it's likely that any fill that was brought in to build the structures did not change the existing grade very much at the time.

    2) The fact that the driveway to the barn is already flooded given the initial conditions only seems to strengthen the landowners agrument to not log the 216 acres, in my opinion.

    3) In regards to our above point, it is pretty clear to me in the above picture that this property sits in the drainage basin of the adjacent hillside. If the 216 acres mentioned drain to this area, then the removal of trees will absolutely affect the influx of ground and surface water. True, 216 acres is only about 0.35 square miles or so, but you would be surprised as to how many trees can be in that small an area, and you would also be surprised as to how much water those trees. A pretty simple calculation can be done to estimate the amount of water than can be retained yearly by those trees, and the amount of water that would be expected to drain through if the trees are removed.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    sambra
    February 7, 2013 11:49 am
    That house is definately on elevated ground and it sure looks like it was manmade. The driveway is elevated as well. My family goes back in logging industry over a 100 years and this small of plot means nothing. While fir does hold water, it's nothing compared to the cottonwood, ash and cedar that the farmowner must have removed to establish that farm.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • C"mon Man wrote...
    Don't overlook.....................
    February 7, 2013 10:15 am
    The debacle near the Mercer Slough and Swedelocken Boat launch near 405 and the 90 interchange that will tilt that pristine area for ever, as opposed to using already laid BN tracks along 405, and devising some kind of tunnel under Lake Washington.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }