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Imelda Moise
Environmental Studies/Geography

Patricia McDowell, Mentor

The Great Flood of 1997: An Examination of Landowner Perceptions in the Applegate Valley

Floods are essentially natural events, but tend to be exacerbated by human environmental management and social structures. The Applegate River Valley in Oregon and the flood in 1997 provide an excellent opportunity to examine the interactions between natural systems, land use, and people as the threat of flood caused area residents to search out ways of buffering its harmful effects through the use of flood control (stop banking) and civil defense (emergency actions). Considering that humans have been a part of the Applegate watershed for thousands of years, an increased understanding of landowner perceptions in the valley provides important information about the current state of the River as well as its potential future. Principal sources for information were newspaper articles, interviews and participant observation, all of which aided an analysis of landowners' perceptions and suggested how their views affected their behavior and responses.