Week of July 11, 2024

Chinook angling on the McKenzie River will close July 8

Chinook salmon angling on the McKenzie River will close beginning Monday, July 8 through the end of the year. ODFW is taking this step to protect the unexpectedly small runs of both wild and hatchery Chinook salmon observed at Leaburg Dam on the McKenzie River in 2024. Continued angling pressure on this small return of salmon could jeopardize meeting conservation targets upstream of Leaburg Dam and broodstock needs for future hatchery production. ODFW biologists do not currently know what...

636 acres addded to conservation lands

FINN ROCK: The McKenzie River Trust (MRT)announced last week that 636 acres had been added to the Finn Rock Reach conservation area. The three new parcels, adjacent to the original property acquired in 2015-16, extend approximately 7 river miles from the mouth of the South Fork McKenzie River to Eagle Rock. This five-year acquisition project was supported by a mix of funding, with more than $2 million coming from the Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program (WWMP), a partnership project funded by...

Choppers rescue climber

NORTH SISTER: A half dozen agencies and rescue response groups worked together early last Saturday to rescue an injured climber stranded high up the North Sister. “This rescue required a great deal of coordination and staff, including the three involved helicopters,” officials said. Authorities were alerted to the emergency by a 911 call from the victim at 4:40 a.m. on July 6th. According to a press release, the man had likely suffered “several broken bones and was on an exposed scree...

Yard safety

Yard chores might seem mundane, but unsafe practices can lead to injury, illness, or even death. Over the past decade, 3.2 million U.S. residents have been injured while working on their lawns or in their gardens. Lawnmower accidents cost patients an average of $37,000 in medical treatment. In a survey of over 1,000 U.S. homeowners about their history, habits, and concerns related to lawn care accidents and injuries, key insights were: * 21.2% have experienced a serious injury while working on...

WALTERVILLE/DEERHORN POWER OUTAGE

EWEB is assessing the power outage in the Walterville/Deehorn area that occurred around 7:00 am this morning. If you are impacted by this outage, please help reduce call volume by going to eweb.org/outagemap for more details and updates. Last week, EWEB changed to wildfire protective settings on equipment in south Eugene and the McKenzie Valley. These protective measures include modifying high-voltage electric switches and relays. Just like a circuit breaker in your home, the switch senses...

McKenzie River Chinook angling closed for the season

Chinook salmon angling in the McKenzie River ended on Monday, July 8th, and will remain in effect through the end of the year. The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) reports it took the step to protect unexpectedly small runs of both wild and hatchery Chinook salmon that have been observed at the Leaburg Dam this year. Biologists say continued angling pressure on the small return of salmon could jeopardize meeting conservation targets upstream of Leaburg Dam and broodstock needs for...

Tired of seeing Forest debris?

A non-profit group that’s made a mark removing trash in other parts of the Willamette National Forest since 2017 is now expanding its cleanup efforts to the McKenzie area. Over the last year, Friends of Fall Creek Watershed (FoFCW) has removed 28 abandoned vehicles and over 143,000 pounds of trash from public lands, mainly in the Oakridge and Fall Creek drainages. “We recently cleaned to the north end of Aufderheide Drive and just completed removing an abandoned RV,” according to FoFCW...

Northwest ecosystems changed dramatically when wolves were nearly exterminated

Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle

Ecosystems in the Northwest were heavily shaped by wolves before they were nearly wiped out of the region, a new study finds. By the 1930s, gray wolves were nearly gone in Oregon and the rest of the West, leading to the multiplication of animals the wolves hunted and creating an imbalance in the environment, researchers at Oregon State University found. However, the full impact of their disappearance isn’t fully understood because ecological research from the last century largely left out the...

  • Freedom isn't free

    Brian Lyman, oregoncapitalchronice.com

    You can’t understand the scope of 122,000 names until you see them on a wall. Stand at the foot of the National Monument to Freedom, recently dedicated by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, and you’ll see all of them, soaring three or four stories above your head. Each name, taken from the 1870 Census, belonged to a former enslaved person. These are surnames. Family names. Combined, they represent about 4 million people who emerged from bondage. Each one stands for an American...

  • Legendary aviator survived five crash-landings in two days

    Finn J.D. John

    Continued From Last Week The Waco’s engine droned on. Ted couldn’t understand why it was still running. It should have sipped its last drop of gasoline several minutes ago. Sooner or later it would run out, and Ted would have to do his best at a dead-stick landing in the black, gusty night, unable to see the ground below. The most likely outcome would involve him thinking he was just above the ground when he wasn’t — it’s very hard to deliberately fly into the ground, and the instinct...

  • Training a fruit tree into an espalier takes a good dash of dedication

    Kym Pokorny

    Espaliered trees bring fruit down to eye level. They allow for easy picking and take advantage of small spaces. But don’t kid yourself into thinking espaliers are any easier than regular-sized trees, said Cody Copp, an Oregon State University’s Extension Service horticulturist. “Espalier is one of many ways to prune – or design -- a fruit tree,” he said. “It’s beautiful, it doesn’t take up a lot of room in the yard. There are a lot of reasons to do it, but it takes dedication...

  • State Police Report - July 11

    July 6: 15:27: Crash, Non-Injury – Hwy. 126E, Milepost 19. Vehicle was eastbound negotiating a curve. Passenger stated he unbuckled his seatbelt to reach into the back seat and believes he distracted the driver, causing them to leave the roadway and crash. Both occupants were uninjured. The driver was wearing his seatbelt, the passenger was not. The airbags did not deploy. The passenger was intoxicated, the driver was not. The vehicle was towed. EWEB property damage was present. Involved: black KIA Spectra, 68-year-old male, and 39-year-old...

  • Sheriff's Report - July 11

    June 26: 12:52 a.m: Disturbance, Dispute - 44500 blk, McK. Hwy. A resident believed an ex-spouse was at the location, but determined it was actually a lost driver looking for directions. 6:03 p.m: Burglary - 8400 blk, Thurston Rd. A residence was broken into some time ago by unknown suspects and items were stolen. 11:41 p.m: Suspicious Conditions - Aufderheide Dr. & Cougar Dam Rd. A camper had an unknown animal outside his tent. He set off his car alarm and elected to sleep the rest of the night in his car. June: 28: 3:30 a.m: Lane County...

  • Upper McK Fire Report - July 11

    July 2: 09:06: Medical – 48000 block, McK. Hwy. Male, Conscious, Breathing. July 4: 18:14: Medical – 91000 blk, Mill Creek Rd. Male, Conscious, Breathing. July 6: 06:48: Check Smoke – 91000 blk, Blue River Reservoir Rd. Smoke billowing, smoldering in the trees north of the intersection near helicopter landing zone. July 6: 18:26: Medical - Horse Creek Rd./FS 2638 Rd. iPhone user requesting assistance with "sickness or injury." July 7: 01:34: Subject Down – McK. Hwy./Milepost 52. Male on ground, caller doesn’t know if he’s been...

  • McK Fire Report - July 11

    July 1: 6:37: 7700 block, Thurston Rd. Medical, General. Cancelled. 16:25: 89000 blk, Old Mohawk Rd. Medical, Trauma. Disregarded En Route. 19:42: McK. Hwy./Ross Ln. Illegal Burning. Legal Campfire Found. 0:41: 43000 blk, Greenwood Dr Medical, General. Patient Assessed, 1 Transported. July 2: 9:08: 44000 blk, McK. Hwy. Medical, General. Patient Assessed, Obtained Refusal. 11:13: 88000 blk, Keola Ln. Medical, Heart. Patient Assessed, 1 Transported. 16:23: 35000 blk, Camp Creek Rd. Medical, Heart. Deceased. 18:24: 39000 blk, Camp Creek Rd....

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