REDMOND _ The brownish colored water was the first sign that

something was amiss in the unnamed stream that fed the Ames Creek

that then flowed into the Snoqualmie River. Earlier this month county

officials discovered that several hundred cubic yards of horse manure and

hay slid down a slope almost completely blocking the waterway except for

a tiny path that managed to creep through the pile.

The owners of the property, Gary and Pat Hammon, just got the go

ahead this weekend to construct an emergency bypass for the stream while

the couple’s consultants devise a plan to remove the manure and restore

the habitat. However because of the sensitivity of the area, extra care must

be taken to protect the environment and stream.

“We didn’t do it on purpose and we’re doing as much as we can

to quickly get it cleaned up,” Pat Hammon said. “I’m learning the

hard way.”

The Hammons usually keep between eight to 14 horses on their

20-acre property in Unincorporated King County between Redmond and

Carnation. For the past seven years the owners of Misty Mountain Farm

have been piling the compost near the side of the cliff at the far end of their

property — with neighbors periodically taking from the heap.

County officials were alerted to the problem on March 6 when a

farm owner downstream of the Hammon property noticed that the creek

was foaming and discolored. Once Public Health of Seattle and King

County determined where the problem was coming from, they posted

signs around the area warning residents not to drink or enter the water.

Last week the county ordered the Hammons to correct the problem

since it violated the Livestock Management requirements. If the guidelines set

by the county aren’t reached, the couple could receive civil penalties

starting at $2,200.

Paula Adams, the communication director for King County

Department of Development and Environmental Services, has commended the

couple on their quick action and attention to correcting the situation.

“It’s a tragic thing that happened but the good that’s coming out of it

is that the property owner is so cooperative,” she said. “A serious

violation happened not because they intended it to happen. They were storing

their manure very precariously and they didn’t know what they were risking.”

“And now they want to educate others,” Adams added.

The Hammons are working with Laurie Clinton, the livestock

program coordinator with the Department of Natural Resources, to create a

five-minute educational video on how to properly deal with animal manure.

“I was really pleased that this will help other people,” Pat Hammon

said. “And for them to learn from my mistakes.”

The county will also help the Hammons to devise a farm

management plan that will teach them environmentally acceptable ways to

dispose of their horse droppings. One of the suggestions is to create a

compost bin so that nearby farmers can recycle the waste as fertilizer.