# Massive land shift.   Accept, or "restore"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massive-land-shift-accept-or-restore/513705>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 13, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massive-land-shift-accept-or-restore/513705 "2009-10-13T21:38:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massive-land-shift-accept-or-restore/513705/1 "2009-10-13T21:38:33Z")

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Inspired by [this CNN story](http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/13/washington.landslide/index.html#cnnSTCText).

For those that may not be able to read, apparently in the Washington state Nile Valley, there was a rare occurance.

Landslides, mudslides, and shifting landscape due to earthquake are all something we are familiar with. But in this instance, and entire hillside collapsed, burying a half mile stretch of highway under tons and tons of rubble.

It also dumped into the Naches river, which has been at least partially diverted, flooding some nearby homes and farms.

Initial estimates are of $20 million dollars, but that is expected to go up. I imagine by a lot, as the road itself will have to be completely rebuilt.

The slide area now appears to be stable, and geologists are calling it a “natural land movement”.

Now, with all that being said, should we (humanity) “fix” this? Should we move aside the massive landfall, redredge the river, and restore the area to what it was before the movement?

Or should we accept it, build a new road over the new hill, and make new maps?

I put this in GD, as I figure there will be some debate. I could be wrong.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/massive-land-shift-accept-or-restore/513705/2 "2009-10-13T22:11:39Z")

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[Hebgen Lake earthquake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_Yellowstone_earthquake) —\> [Quake Lake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quake_Lake)

> [@](#):
>
> Quake Lake (also known as Earthquake Lake) is a lake in southwestern Montana, United States. It was created after a massive earthquake struck on August 17, 1959, which killed 28 people. Today, Quake Lake is 190 feet (58 m) deep (150 feet as of July 2009) and six miles (10 km) long. US 287 follows the lake and offers glimpses of the effects of the earthquake and landslide and allows access to a visitor center. The lake is mostly within Gallatin National Forest.

The lake looks nice nowadays. The new course of the Naches river will look nice in 50 years too. Too bad about the farmers and homeowners, but they’re not owed a fix up unless they insured themselves against the land movement.