In the late 19th century farmers along the White River were subjected to nearly annual floods. Sometimes farmers would use dynamite to divert the river into different channels. In 1899 one such explosion went awry and ended up diverting most of the White River into the Stuck River, thence the Puyallup. Dynamiting the river channels continued until the major flood of 1906 which ended up sending the entire White River down the Stuck River. Because of the risk of floods, the diversion was not wanted by Pierce County, which sued King County in an attempt to have the White River rediverted away from the Stuck River. The lawsuit dragged on for years until 1913 when the two counties reached an agreement. Pierce County would keep the White River, but King County would pay 60% of the cost of flood control. Dams, levees, and barriers were built along the White River in hopes of preventing major flooding, but in 1933 a large flood inundated the region. The two counties realized they were unable to tame the river and so turned to the federal government. The result was Mud Mountain Dam.