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Taming the Kootenay
Creston and District Historical and Museum Society
Creston , British Columbia

Enter

   By the 1880s, the rich
agricultural potential of the
Creston Valley, in south-
eastern British Columbia, had
been recognized, provided the
broad floodplain could be
reclaimed from the annual
floods of the Kootenay River
which meanders through it.
The first attempt to do this

began in 1883; even though it
failed, it set in motion a
series of events that have
influenced the development of
the Creston Valley to the
present day.
   The floodplain was
eventually dyked and
transformed into productive
farmland, but not without

triggering heated arguments
and disputes, and a battle to
save some of the marshes for
productive wildlife habitat.
Along the way, the Kootenay
River has bankrupted one
company, swept away a few
family fortunes, and
destroyed the hopes of many
farmers. The river's

resistance has left its mark
on the land, and on the
memories of the people who
live here.
   "Taming the Kootenay" is
the story of more than a
century of struggle, failure,
determination, and,
ultimately, success. The
success, however, is

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