During the worst El Nino Storm system of the century, in 1998, destruction along the Russian River was rampant. Due to the excessive rainfall, hundreds of people were displaced from their homes after 250,000 cubic feet of mud came crashing into their homes. Thousands more were evacuated when the river overflowed it's banks, filling hundreds of homes with rushing, muddy water.
At times nature can be more destructive than humans could ever think of being. The impact that these storms have had on the environment may not be readily noticeable, but over time the effects will come to be known. Along with destroying several homes, the mudslide of '98 undoubtedly dumped thousands of pounds of sediment into the already overtaxed river. This sediment will come to rest on the bottom of the river where it will clog the gills of native fish, and contribute to their decline. Trees that have fallen into the river will become stuck on natural curves along the river, eventually straightening them out. The straightened river robs the fish of natural "rest stops" from their treacherous fight to stay upstream in a raging river (Libeu). For animals that live along the banks of the river, flooding can be disastrous. Although some animals may be spared the excruciating death by drowning, some may never return to their natural habitat. This will in turn effect every animal in this ecosystem at some point.
Toxins stored in homes that are destroyed by floods and swept away by sliding mud will be dumped into the river along with other debris that will pollute and harm all animals native to the river. These pollutants will then travel to the ocean and continue to pollute our water and our fish. Even those fish that escape direct poisoning at the time of the flood will be affected by these pollutants sooner or later. The pollutants will come to rest on the bed of the river where they will eventually be eaten by young fish. As these young fish are eaten by bigger fish the chain of pollution begins and w ill eventually reach the dinner table of some unsuspecting family.
The only way that we can stop this treacherous chain is to be aware of the pollutants that are in your house. It is extremely important during flood times to keep toxins high on shelves. We may not be able to stop the flooding or the slides, but we can be aware of the toxins that we are putting into our river.