ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the Snoqualmie story and describes the work of the mediators. For about fifteen years, a conflict had raged in and around Seattle, Washington, over whether a flood-control dam should be built on the Snoqualmie River. Jane McCarthy received a top reference from George Yount, an environmentalist involved in the Snoqualmie dispute; he described her as a "minor god." The farmers and residents had suffered serious periodic flooding by the Snoqualmie River. The Snoqualmie winds its way out of the Cascade Mountians east of Seattle and moves through the agricultural area–the Snohomish River Basin–until it flows into Puget Sound, north of the city. The only viable alternative was a dam on the North Fork of the Snoqualmie plus an improved system of dikes and levees throughout the flood plain. Although this system offered less flood protection than Middle Fork dam, it could be sold to the environmentalists because it would cause much less damage to the scenic areas.
