Make the McKenzie Connection!
Make the McKenzie Connection!
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NIMROD: People who appreciate fine craftsmanship as well as folks who make their living on waterways will all converge at the Eagle Rock Lodge on April 27th. They’ll be there along with hundreds of other fans of a boat that has become known around the world. This year’s Wooden Boat Festival will offer an opportunity to relax, and learn about the river and the history of the influential double-ended McKenzie River drift boat from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free at the Lodge located at 491...
Prescribed fire is the controlled use of burns to minimize the larger risks of wildfires and smoke. It is seen as an increasingly important strategy as wildfire seasons pose greater threats to the Northwest. Casey Sixkiller, Northwest regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said authorities want to work together to maintain forest habitats. “Prescribed burn is one of the best tools we have for making our forests more resilient against catastrophic wildfires and t...
People are invited to join the EWEB Board of Commissioners for their annual event with the McKenzie Valley community on Thursday, May 23. Doors at the Walterville Community Center, 39259 Camp Creek Road, will open at 5:30 p.m. for an open house followed by a customer appreciation dinner at 6 p.m. Officials say this year’s theme is improving communications with the community. Plans call for people to share dinner to discuss interests and community members’ concerns for the future well-being of the McKenzie community, plus how EWEB can support th...
Supported by the 2022 US Economic Development Administration Build Back Better grant, the Department of Land Conservation and Development has released a new resource for local governments seeking to modernize local code to support the use of prefabricated, modular, and manufactured housing types including but not limited to mass timber construction. The Prefabricated and Modular Housing Model Code includes resources to assist local governments in updating their development codes to achieve...
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) reports the state’s wolf population is stagnating. It did not grow in 2023. 36 died in 2023, with 33 human-caused. 16 were authorized by ODFW, four more were hit by cars, and one was lawfully shot by a hunter. 10 wolves were moved to Colorado. The actual population is higher than the minimum count, the report notes — the count is the number of wolves that were verified through tracks, photos, or radio collars. Officials say a dozen were poa...
Cuts to annual federal budgets for trout, steelhead, and Chinook salmon stocking in the Upper Willamette Basin are generating protests from Northwest anglers and organizations. In December the U.S. Corps of Army Engineers (ACOE) notified the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) that it planned to stop funding producing hatchery trout, steelhead, and Chinook salmon in the Upper Willamette Basin. Numbers in the Corps’ plans include an overall 65% reduction from 277,000 lbs. of trout p...
VIDA: Vida McKenzie Community Center president Walt Wilson marked the welcome return of the rebuilt building last Saturday. The structure, he noted, was constructed in the same shape and on the same footprint as the structure it replaced. But when first time vistors went inside, they too shared the “Wow!” that Walt let loose outside. What they found was an open central gathering room with exposed rafters and a fully equipped kitchen that continued to fill with well wishes throughout the aft...
No, it’s not a case of “Where’s Waldo?” but return visitors to the Leaburg Fish Hatchery recently have wondered why they couldn’t seem to find the largest fish in the facility’s show ponds. That’s because, in anticipation of the dewatering of the ponds later in the season, they’ve been moved, according to Erik Withalm, manager of the Leaburg Hatchery. Five of the fish have been relocated to a pond at the McKenzie River Discovery Center - just across from the hatchery on the other side of L...
Does your community have a “Main Street?” If you live in Walterville or Finn Rock, the answer to that question would probably be different than one that comes to mind for folks in Blue River. Is Highway 126 a roadway that unites towns that compose an overall McKenzie community? That’s a concept behind a series of meetings scheduled to kick off later this month at the Vida McKenzie Community Center (VMCC). Many McKenzie River residents have been involved in post-fire recovery efforts for over two and a half years. This week, the physical resul...
Results of a national poll to establish each state’s unofficial state mocktail says ‘Cascade Mountain Mist’ was voted in as Oregon’s. If each state were to have its signature ‘Mocktail’, inspired by local flavors, ingredients, or cultural icons, what would it be? Zinnia Health, a behavioral health treatment network, sought to find out, and tabulated replies from 3,000 respondents. The result? A coast-to-coast guide to sipping state pride without the spike. What’s in Cascade Mountain Mist...
State and federal agencies and departments in Oregon and Washington have agreed to collaborate on addressing the escalating wildfire crisis by increasing use of prescribed fire and other forest fuel management strategies at larger geographic scales while also increasing outreach to nearby communities as these strategies are deployed. These strategies reduce forest fuels on the ground and allow for strategic burning that minimizes community and public health impacts relative to impacts from uncontrolled wildfires. Over the past decade,...
The Easter Hunt - sponsored by McKenzie Valley Young Life - brought smiles and lots of youngsters and parents to the McKenzie Community Track. Besides a huge number of Easter eggs that were quickly added to participant baskets. The day was filled out with a range of games and activities that included games and races - plus this surprise egg drop from a tree. Downriver kids were feted as well with the annual Egg Hunt held at the Walterville Grange. For a video of the hunt at the track, go to:...
More than 120 candidates are vying for 60 seats in the state House this year, including the most recent Republican nominee for governor and a handful of candidates trying to flip control of key swing seats. Democrats now hold 35 seats in the House, with 25 districts represented by Republicans. The overall balance of power in the state House isn’t likely to shift following November’s elections, but Democratic wins could give the caucus the three-fifths majority needed to pass tax increases wit...
BLUE RIVER: Trees that drifted into the main channel of the McKenzie River in January generated warnings for boaters to stay away from an area located about one mile below Brukart Landing. The entrance to a small side channel of the river to the south was also blocked with trees. Since then, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, McKenzie River Guides, and other boaters have advised people to avoid the area until the hazard can be mitigated because there were no safe routes - other than portaging (ex...
Sunday, March 31st was the deadline to remove studded tires Spring has arrived and long-term weather forecasts don’t support an extension of the studded tire season. That means people who still have them on their cars need to get a move on. Driving with studded tires after the deadline can result in a fine. Law enforcement may issue a citation, a Class C traffic violation, with a $165 fine. Oregon law says studded tires are okay from November 1st to March 31st. Officials encourage options l...
FINN ROCK: One solution to the challenge of hiring and retaining bus drivers - locally and regionally - got underway this month. Dubbed “Split-Load,” the new program has more than doubled the number of district vehicles on the road and provided a new income source for school financing. “In addition, it has created a new training program for students,” according to a press release from the district, “as well as taking some of the stigma away from those who are seen riding a ‘short bus.’” On r...
CARMEN SMITH RESERVOIR: This month, an inventory of local fish populations took a turn for the extraordinary at the eastern end of the McKenzie Valley. Researchers from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s fish health lab had noticed strange behaviors and increased mortality in several rainbow trout. Anglers had found the live fish floating in the Carmen Smith Reservoir. Initial tests didn’t detect any typical pathogens. By chance, one researcher forwarded their samples to the Oregon Sta...
LEABURG: “Waldo,” a key attraction on the grounds of the Leaburg Fish Hatchery, has gone missing. Long thought to be one of the offspring of specimens brought back by naturalist Charles Darwin’s historic voyage to the Galápagos Islands, Waldo’s long legs helped him climb some small hills at the Leaburg Hatchery when searching out areas to stretch his neck to eat from shrubs and bushes. On one of those hills, hatchery staff discovered tracks from a vehicle. They led away from a spot where Wa...
WALTERVILLE: Community involvement has exhibited low interest with an ongoing downward trend. A list of recent disappointments has included: The Vida Fortune Tellers Group canceled this month due to unforeseen circumstances. An Act of God forced the cancellation of the Nimrod Atheists Club’s March meeting. The Solipsist Society scheduled an April 1st meeting at 7 p.m., but attendance would neither be taken nor known. And, the Time Travelers Rally will be held in Finn Rock last Wednesday at 6 a...
OLD MCKENZIE PASS: Crews have already begun working on a project to improve conditions for drivers and cyclists using Hwy. 242. The resurfacing work extends between the Dee Wright Observatory and U.S. Route 20. It will include rebuilding degraded or substandard shoulders and bike lanes, removing safety hazards, updating some ADA curb ramps, and replacing or repairing signs and warning systems throughout the corridor. The project also involves the installation of more accessible bathrooms at C...
Following January’s “Iceathon” winter storm, Governor Tina Kotek requested as much as $48 million in federal major disaster relief for Benton, Clackamas, Coos, Hood River, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Multnomah, Sherman, Tillamook, and Wasco counties, along with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. That figure pales in comparison to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric’s 2023 billion-dollar disaster report, which confirms a historic year in the number of costly disasters and extremes through...
Dental care People in Veneta, Mapleton, Junction City, Cottage Grove, Florence, Creswell, Dexter, and the McKenzie area have benefitted from an outreach program for oral health care. Every second Tuesday of the month, the Tiny Dental Van stops in at the Orchid McKenzie River Clinic in Rainbow. Sponsored by the Rural Oregon Outreach Program, a first visit will include a patient assessment, intraoral photos, teeth cleaning, charting, and X-rays. To schedule new patient appointments or teeth...
RAINBOW: Billed as P.R.E.P., a meeting at the Upper McKenzie Community Center focused on how firefighters attack a fire after someone reports one. According to representatives from the McKenzie River Ranger District, McKenzie Fire & Rescue, the Upper McKenzie Fire District, and the Oregon Dept. of Forestry, the answer was the same - “put it out.” Sponsored by the McKenzie Valley Long Term Recovery Group, the “Plan, Resilient, Educate, and Prepare” meeting was the first of four sessions to upda...
WALTERVILLE: The Eugene Water & Electric Board's (EWEB) temporary shutdown of the Walterville Hydroelectric Project is expected to be extended this summer as the utility investigates safety concerns along the Walterville Canal. EWEB dewatered the Walterville Canal last month after detecting an unexpected increase in water seepage near the Walterville Powerhouse. The issue isn't new. EWEB and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) have known about the seepage in the 110-year-old canal's...
The U.S. Forest Service has announced its intention to update a 30-year-old plan for managing forests in the Northwest. The agency has issued a Notice of Intent to amend the Northwest Forest Plan. The plan covers management for 19 million acres of forest in California, Oregon, and Washington and was adopted in 1994 but has not changed since. Nick Goulette, co-executive director of the Watershed Research and Training Center, said the plan needs improving, especially as climate impacts on the...
