Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
Sorted by date Results 1626 - 1650 of 1796
8th annual Wooden Boat Festival set for April 27th Wooden Boat Festival poster NIMROD: The McKenzie River Wooden Boat Festival will kick off the outdoor season on the grounds of a riverside resort later next month. The morning of April 27th will launch with a wooden McKenzie River drift boat parade down the McKenzie River, starting with a put in at Finn Rock and beaching downstream at the Eagle Rock Lodge. Close to fifty wooden white water boats of the classic McKenzie River design are usually on hand – both old and new for admirers to...
Forest Service Changes Course on Firefighting Policy By Chris Thomas, Oregon News Service Barry Point fire The Barry Point fire in August 2012 was one that required a lot of resources to contain, but not all wildland blazes are that much of a menace. Courtesy U.S. Forest Service. For decades, the U.S. Forest Service let small fires in remote areas burn naturally - in recognition that fire was part of the natural landscape, and that by letting some fires burn, larger fires could be prevented. But last year, every fire was battled unless granted...
Releasing a salmon A bill intended to protect salmon from gold dredges could impact property owners in McKenzie Bridge, Rainbow, Blue River and Finn Rock. SALEM: A move to regulate gold mining could impact area property owners. Oregon Senate Bill 401, recently introduced by Senator Alan Bates (D-Medford/Ashland), would bring 30 more rivers (including additional portions of the McKenzie) into the State Scenic Waterways program. Supporters say the move is in recognition of outstanding scenic vistas, value to fish and wildlife, and the streams...
Releasing a salmon A bill intended to protect salmon from gold dredges could impact property owners in McKenzie Bridge, Rainbow, Blue River and Finn Rock. SALEM: A move to regulate gold mining could impact area property owners. Oregon Senate Bill 401, recently introduced by Senator Alan Bates (D-Medford/Ashland), would bring 30 more rivers (including additional portions of the McKenzie) into the State Scenic Waterways program. Supporters say the move is in recognition of outstanding scenic vistas, value to fish and wildlife, and the streams...
Shed hunters in Oregon A growing number of people take to the woods during winter, looking for antlers shed by Oregon’s deer and elk. Deer usually shed theirs from late December through March, and elk from late February through early April. This time period also happens to be a critical one for big game. “During winter and early spring, big game animals are at their most vulnerable because of lower nutritional levels and body condition,” explains Ryan Torland, ODFW district wildlife biologist in John Day. Motor vehicles will put animals on th...
McKenzie land ownership LEABURG: The Eugene Water & Electric Board is sponsoring a process that could result in annual dividend payments to landowners in a stewardship zone of riparian forests and floodplains along the McKenzie River. The proposed Voluntary Incentives Program (VIP) may include private landowners, local governments, and non-profit organizations that own land within the designated boundary. Based on EWEB’s preliminary analysis, an estimated 6,500 acres along the McKenzie and major tributaries would be eligible to enroll. The V...
EWEB logo Eugene Water & Electric Board customers should be wary of a “phishing” scam that attempts to convince people to wire money to a bogus business to avoid interruption of electric or water service. Since Friday, at least two EWEB customers have been contacted by telephone. The caller claims to be working on behalf of EWEB and asks the customer of make a payment to avoid any interruption of service. The caller then attempted to convince the customer to go to a location that offers Western Union services so he could wire money before the u...
Trapper Project map MCKENZIE BRIDGE: The McKenzie River Ranger District is seeking public input on the Revised Trapper Project, located north of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. The Trapper Project was part of a 1997 study designed to use timber harvest and prescribed fire to emulate natural processes. The latest plan is the result of a 2011 court directive to the Forest Service to review the project and determine impacts to the Northern Spotted Owls as well as the learning value of the project, while also complying with changing standards...
6 Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Permit Checking a paddler Two inspectors at work at the Ashland inspection station in 2012. The Oregon State Marine Board and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife remind operators of paddlecraft (kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, sailboats, etc.) that it’s time to buy an aquatic invasive species prevention permit for 2013. Permits are required for paddlecraft and other non-motorized vessels 10 feet long and longer for both residents and nonresidents. Permits are transferable between boats, but each boat on...
** 2/8/13 ** Dates changed again by Lane County Public Works Bridge closures moved to Feb. 25, 26 & 27 Temporary steel bracing inside bridge 9:34 a.m: Earlier this morning it was announced that the Goodpasture covered bridge closures planned for next week, Thursday night, February 14th and Friday night, February 15th have been cancelled and rescheduled for Wednesday night, February 20th, Thursday night, February 21st, and Friday night, February 22nd. These closures will be from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for three consecutive nights. These bridge...
Map of Homestead Campground BLUE RIVER: Efforts to reintroduce Chinook salmon in about 24 miles of high quality spawning and rearing habitat at Cougar Reservoir have included the construction of a truck fish and haul facility. The structure is part of an ongoing program to capture adult fish below the dam and transport them by truck to various locations above it, where they are released. The trap and haul operation extends from late May to mid-October. The current method for “unloading” the fish from the transport trucks can be limited by ter...
Face of Blue River Dam Photo Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Discussed for decades, the addition of a generator to the Blue River Dam could become a reality. BLUE RIVER: The off-again, on-again plans to add a hydroelectric generator to the Blue River Dam have been revived by Qualified Hydro 15, LLC of Boston, Massachusetts. The Eugene Water & Electric Board analyzed the economics of the project several times since construction was halted in 1994 but was not able to come up with an economic justification for moving forward. Last year,...
Night time covered bridge closures Commemorative Goodpasture Bridge coin Lane County issued the first of a series of commemorative covered bridge coins to 2005. Continued rehabilitation work will result in more night closures for the Goodpasture covered bridge. They are planned - from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on the next morning mornings - for February 6, Feb. 14, and Feb. 15. As in the past, a detour route for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists will not be available during the bridge closures. Firefighting equipment and an emergency response vehicle w...
YCC crew moving a log Photo Courtesy USFS Trail crew members roll a segment of a log cut by Stacey Snyder to clear the Hell’s Half Acre trail. The McKenzie River and Middle Fork ranger districts are looking for young people to apply for summer jobs with the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC). Summer jobs are available for people born between August 9th, 1995 and June 17th, 1998. Applications are now being accepted through February 15th. YCC employees do conservation work on public lands and have opportunities to learn about and develop an appreciat...
FINN ROCK: The McKenzie School Board got a dose of sticker shock last Wednesday when a bid for limiting access at key entry doors arrived with a $25,000 price tag. Jason Davis, the district’s technology coordinator, has been exploring options to make the campus safer for students. He outlined a strategy for installing magnetic locks and cameras at building entrances. The locations included the front doors of the high school and administration buildings as well as two more at the elementary school. Davis said the general setup would include a d...
Carrol Fountail celebrates 100th birthday An active life, rather than retirement, means Carrol Fountain is keeping busy tending to his cattle, orchards, grapes, and gardens. WALTERVILLE: Carrol D. Fountain was born the seventh child of John and Salinda Fountain on January 19th, 1913, in Walterville, Oregon. A second generation, Oregonian, he was a big baby, weighing in at 13 pounds. His chubby cheeks and long strawberry-blonde curls even earned him 1st place in Lane County’s Beautiful Baby Contest. Brothers, Lee, Irvin and Jack and sisters, Bes...
Shadow Lake fire Photo Courtesy USFS Motorists were warned to be cautious and expect smoke on the highways when the Shadow Lake wildfire was burning across 6,700 hundreds of the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests in September of 2011. The Willamette and Deschutes National Forests are looking for comments from the public on a proposal to use prescribed fire in portions of the Mt. Washington and Three Sisters Wildernesses. Officials say the prescribed burns would restore more natural vegetation patterns, reduce the need for fire suppressio...
CASCADES VOLCANO OBSERVATORY WEEKLY UPDATE Belknap shield volcano Belknap shield volcano Monday, January 14, 2013 Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN Activity Update: All volcanoes in the Cascade Range of Oregon and Washington are at normal levels of background seismicity. These include Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams in Washington State; and Mount Hood, Mount Jefferson, Three Sisters, Newberry Volcano, and Crater Lake, in Oregon. Recent Observations: Seismic...
Scuba diver's boat in Leaburg Lake" src="http://mckenzieriverreflectionsnewspaper.com/sites/default/files/small_Color%20Boat%20in%20Lake.jpg" style="width: 180px; height: 135px; margin: 5px; float: left;" Scuba divers from Northwest Underwater Contractors did an underwater survey of the Leaburg Dam’s fish ladder last April that revealed erosion has undermined the structure’s concrete foundation. LEABURG: Scuba divers inspecting Leaburg Dam’s left bank fish ladder had bad news after an underwater inspection of the structure last summer. They rep...
Construction Update – Week of January 7 - 11, 2013 Reroofing Goodpasture Bridge Crews reroofed the structure in October of 2010. Fabrication of the bridge materials is underway. We expect delivery of the materials this week, and the bridge work will recommence next week. Most of the electrical and lighting work has been completed. Due to structural work delay and bridge painting delay, we expect the project work to be completed sometime in March. Work activity should continue to be light this week. Nonetheless, please exercise caution...
Powerline tree trimming Crews from Jensen’s Tree Service have been busy in recent weeks trimming trees and vegetation along power line corridors in the eastern portion of the McKenzie River Valley. The work, under contract to the Lane Electric Cooperative, is expected to be completed within three to four months....
P 1 Watch 12/12 Newlttter P 2 Watch 12/12 Newlttter P 3 Watch 12/12 Newlttter P 4 Watch 12/12 Newlttter P 5 Watch 12/12 Newlttter...
Cougar dam colling tower construction The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is performing a "deep drawdown" of Cougar Reservoir to test a possible method of improving downstream fish passage past Cougar Dam. The Corps is lowering the reservoir’s surface to 1,500 feet above sea level, about 32 feet below the usual minimum flood control elevation and 16 feet below the minimum water level required to operate the dam’s powerhouse. Reservoir regulators will try to hold the reservoir at that elevation for several weeks, depending on juvenile fish cou...
Pumpkin Nut Bread Pumpkin nut bread Ingredients 2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin or 1 can (16-ounces) pumpkin 4 medium or large eggs 2⁄3 cup vegetable oil 2⁄3 cup water 2 cups sugar 3 1⁄3 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cinnamon 1 cup raisins (or other dried fruit) 1 cup chopped nuts Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Oil and flour two 9 x 5 loaf pans. 3. Beat together pumpkin, eggs, oil, and water until well blended. 4. Mix dry ingredients in a...
Cement pumping at Camp White Branch MCKENZIE BRIDGE: A Depression era development brought some 400 young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps to Camp Belknap in the spring of 1934. Many of the transplants - mainly from the Chicago and St. Louis areas - had never seen mountains before. But on January 1st of the following year the work they did resulted in an opening day celebration of the White Branch Lodge that drew a crowd of 1,200 celebrants. Over the years the site has been operated as an organizational camp serving church groups, Boy Scou...
