Flooding concerns become real at fire-scarred apple orchard
July 30, 2011
the hard work continues this weekend at new mexico's most famous apple orchard. they're recovering from the largest wildfire in state history and protecting it from the next threat - flooding. stuart dyson spent much of the day at dixon's apple orchard and he's in our newsroom now. 20-11 has been a year of epic trouble for becky and jim mullane and their orchard nestled in a canyon next to cochiti lake - ice -fire - and now floodwater. here's a hint of what may lie ahead - a surge of tar-black ash-filled floodwater from a little rain higher up in the freshly charbroiled canyon that is home to dixon's apples. " this stream has risen about 3 feet in a matter of seconds - if it comes to flooding the stone wall all along the stream is going to help a lot - it's been there half a century - built by becky's grandfather fred dixon." becky and jim lost their house and some barns in the las conchas fire - it spared much of the orchard - but set it up perfectly for flash-floods and mudslides - a lot of protective work has been done - but there is much left to do to shore up the suddenly fragile canyon walls. " our lives have changed - there is no dot about that and that would be a lie for me to stand here and say oh it's all gonna be the same - it's all gonna be just what it was - it isn't - our lives have changed here in this canyon." " it varies from day to day - ha ha - hour to hour - you know there's times when things feel like they're going good and other times it just feels like you're just behind the 8-ball all the time." the orchard sits on state trust land - jim and becky pay the taxpayers for it - and rely on the state now to help out with the massive environmental crisis they're facing. " we have had unbelievable support from apple customers - it is over - way over the top - i can't even begin to tell you - and that's what keeps us here." " we want to see the light at the end of the tunnel - and at this point there's just no light right now for us." well maybe some light - big fundraiser on the way august 27th in eldorado - steve stucker one of the emcees
