 The once prominent refuse mound has been all but destroyed by repeated trenching and by diverting arroyos near Chetro Ketl.Treasure hunting, livestock grazing, and early National Park Service stabilization efforts also contributed to the degradation of the structure, as have deep excavations that left Chaco Wash prone to flooding.Archeology was responsible for the catastrophic effects of a 1947 flood that destroyed the walls of twenty rooms and collapsed of the north wall.