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Mud Creek The winters of the early 1920's were light, and as a result Mt. Shasta gradually lost much of the snow that covered the glaciers. A light winter in 1923, followed by a hot summer melted the Konwakaton Glacier and it flowed down Mud Creek Canyon. Mud Creek always had some flow of water, but now the water built up behind natural dams, and eventually these dams broke loose. Boulders as large as automobiles, huge trees and sand cascaded down the mountain side in an irresistible torrent. McCloud's water supply springs were covered, and water lines were broken. The railroad brought in tank cars of water for domestic use. The railroad east of McCloud was covered to a depth of three feet, as was the highway. The flow of mud and rocks continued on across the McCloud River, and carried on for a distance of 60 to 70 yards on the opposite side. In the 1930's, a CCC camp was established north of McCloud, and one of their projects was to build a dam and diversion channels. The channels are long gone, and the dam is partly filled. from The Siskiyou County Museum and Historical Society Keith Arnold |