The warm spell last week combined with rain and mountain snow melt brought numerous rivers up to near or just above flood stage in western Washington. The Skagit River took a bite out of a section of Highway 20. Several pictures of the damage plus the high water associated with the damage were being circulated by agency and other up river folks. The email strings did not provide specific references to the photographers so I can't attribute as I would otherwise like.
The location of the channel migration erosion is just upstream of the Cascadia Farm seasonal fruit stand for those familiar with the highway. The river has been hard up against the highway at this location and is within a river reach with wide channel migration bends and curves with a flood plain valley over a mile wide with multiple old channels upstream of the confluence with the Sauk River.
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I checked out this high flow damage, which locals described as the "101 hole", based on the milepost. What intrigues me is the substantial artificial log jam just west of your pictures. Apparently, I presume, the highway department is aware of the vulnerability of the highway to the dynamics of the Skagit in this area. I wonder if they will now extend that logjam to cover this spot also.
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