Mt. Bachelor Expansion: the Northwest’s leading dry snow ski mountain now has approval to move ahead with expansion plans to include new base facilities, upgraded chairlifts and ski runs, a chairlift to serve mountain bikes, hiking trails, a climbing wall and zip line.
 |
| Mt. Bachelor in summer as viewed from a kayak on Sparks Lake |
Deschutes National Forest officials announced the approval in mid-February, triggering a 45-day appeal period that would end April 1. Bend tourism proponents say the mountain plans are good news for the region’s tourism based economy. Mountain operator Powdr Corp. of Park City, Utah says the plan would put Mt. Bachelor in the category of a national ski destination.
Mirror Pond: Maybe no other Bend scenic site defines the city’s visual charm than iconic Mirror Pond of the Deschutes River as it slows on it’s way through town along historic Drake Park.
But the gently flowing stretch, popular with kayakers, canoeists, paddleboarders and tubers, has for decades been plagued by silt buildup that threatens to clog the channel.
The city has appointed committees and hired consultants to find solutions could include dredging again, or reestablishing a free flowing stream that was blocked in the early part of the 1900s with construction of the Newport Avenue dam and hydroelectric facility. Any decision is still some time in the future as various unscientific polls favor the free-flowing option but not by a wide margin.
SWIP (Surface Water Improvement Project): In February a newly-formed city council voted 4-3 to move ahead with a “dual source” drinking water system that would involve replacing 10 miles of aging transmission pipe that diverts runoff in the Tumalo Creek/Bridge Creek watershed, and construction of a new treatment system.
The proposal galvanized an unlikely opposition alliance that included established business interests and entrenched conservation groups. They argued the nearly $70 million proposal is too expensive as the city emerges from a deep recession and that continued creek/surface withdrawal could be detrimental to fish habitat.
Although the city has already committed to purchasing $4 million of replacement pipe, the issue may not be settled as a federal judge has delayed construction while the city provides additional detail on the impacts and alternatives.
From previous posts:
