Beam me up Scotty: and I’ll take some of that Washington water with me

            Always thirsty California has periodically set its sights on water from outside state borders. After sucking the interior Owens Valley and Mono Lake dry early in the 20^th century it blasted a tunnel to tap flows of the Colorado River in neighboring Arizona.

            Now the leader of the Star Ship Enterprise has come up with an idea he says could solve his state’s progressively worsening drought.

            Just build a big pipeline down the Interstate-5 corridor says actor William Shatner, whose comments often leave listeners bemused at the quriky television Captain Kirk.

            Shatner's possibly facetious (or maybe not) suggestion of harnessing Northwest water for California is not the first time a similar idea has been floated. 

In 1964 the Los Angeles based Metropolitan Water District let flow the concept of a pipeline to Alaska which would make its way through Washington and Oregon, irrigating arid areas of both states on its way south to the promised La-La land.

A video with narration as grandiose as the proposal envisioned an eventual  "nuclear-powered agro-industrial complex,"  augmented by ocean water made potable by complex desalinization systems.

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Water dominates resource discussion: Central Oregon better than most of West

Is this really Winter? Mild temperatures and low snowpack thus far

 

Water dominates resource discussion: Central Oregon better than most of West

            Maybe no other issue has dominated the discussion of resources in the American West  this Spring than water - the lack of it and the consequential impact on agriculture, business and individual homeowners.

            California, the nation’s largest state and by some estimates home to the world’s seventh ranking economy, is facing another season in a multiyear drought that has resulted in fallowed crop land and the  prospect of rising food prices in and outside its borders.

            Much of California’s massive agricultural economy, consuming an estimated 80% of the state’s water, was created with the largesse of water captured from the Colorado River and other sources far from where crops are grown.

For the past two years junior water rights holders in the vast Central Valley, where almonds, tomatoes, melons and apricots are among crops, have been unable to irrigate as water has been allocated by a federal agency  to senior rights holders in southern California.

Watering California's growth

            Apart from agriculture, urban areas such as Los Angeles could only exist with water originating from far away sources such as aqueducts connected to interior sources in the state and  the Colorado River, which also enables Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson and other desert cities to exist.

            The California situation has prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a statewide emergency and impose a mandatory goal to reduce water use by 25%, excluding agricultural consumption.  Brown dramatized the declaration by standing on a grassy area of the Sierras that is usually buried under several feet of snow this time of year.

            Costly desalinization projects are underway in San Diego County and elsewhere in the state to squeeze potable water from the vast Pacific coastline. Farmers and ranchers are turning to groundwater sources by digging new wells, which are not regulated by the state--unlike Oregon, Washington and other states.

            The snowpack in many other areas west of the continental divide is at historic lows including single digit percentages of normal in some places, with a few exceptions.

Only near normal or above rainfall has helped fill many reservoirs as the irrigation season begins and residential lawns revive with the spray of sprinklers that have been idle over the winter.

In Oregon the southern part of the state is again facing the toughest water challenges. Klamath Basin irrigators will once more face curtailed water diversions tied to a low snow year combined with continued reductions related to allocation of water to the Klamath Tribes for fish habitat.

            Bend and Central Oregon, with the exception of the upper Crooked River and the Sisters are to part of Lower Bridge in Terrebonne relying on  Wychus Creek drainage, are in better shape than southern Oregon. The Three Sisters Irrigation District which relies on Wychus Creek (formerly Squaw Creek, has  no reservoir storage to augment water from snowmelt and springs, unlike the other Deschutes basin districts .

Gov. Kate Brown has declared a drought emergency for Crook County, where irrigators rely primarily on the Crooked River drainage. Prineville Reservoir on  Crooked River is only at 84% of normal as of April 6 and the low snowpack in the Ochoco Mountains portends there will be marginal recharge from Spring and Summer runoff.

         On April 6 of this year the stream gauge of the Bureau of Reclamation above Prineville Reservoir recorded Crooked River flows at 216 cubic feet per second (cfs), below half of the 439 cfs logged on the same date in 2014 and less than 25% of the historic average.

         The snowwater equivalent measured by the Natural Resources Conservation Service at 14 stations in the Deschutes/Crooked river watersheds ranged from a low of less than 1% of median to slightly more than 38% at Irish-Taylor Lakes west of Waldo Lake and Summit Lake nearer to Crane Prairie Reservoir.

         Wickiup and Crane Prairie reservoirs which hold water from the upper Deschutes River were at 100% of normal as irrigation districts with water rights in that basin opened canal headgates for the season.

         The low snowpack  in the Deschutes watershed has been offset, as elsewhere, by above normal rainfall this winter. But, as in the Crooked River basin and Prineville reservoir, Wickiup and Crane Prairie will not benefit as usual from replenishment of a steady snowmelt.

Understanding Central Oregon Water Use

        Central Oregon agriculture, unlike much of California, benefits from water drawn from within its river basins--with an  interdependent system of wells, reservoirs and irrigation canals that from April through October enable crop production in an otherwise arid environment.

       Originating in the Cascade mountains, water from springs and snowmelt makes its way into the upper Deschutes Basin reservoirs such as Crane Prairie and Wickiup, both of which were created through efforts of the region’s major irrigation districts.

       These and other irrigation districts in Oregon serve as trustees for water rights for specific agricultural lands, some of those rights dating back to the late 1800s.

       Some landowners have senior rights to divert water directly from the Deschutes or other streams, including the City of Bend which takes water through pipelines for residential domestic use from the Tumalo-Bridge Creek watershed that joins the Deschutes.to the north of town.

    In efforts to mitigate losses of water from leaking canals several districts including Wychus and the Central Oregon Irrigation District have started piping sections of their systems.  Although the projects reduce transmission losses from the canals, some opponents argue that piping also lowers natural recharge of aquifers and results in loss of nearby trees and vegetation.

The major irrigation districts in the region are COID which serves farms and ranches south and east of Bend into the Powell Butte area, and the North Unit providing water to the region’s large agricultural operations from Redmond to the Culver and Madras areas.

The Tumalo, Swalley and Arnold districts provide water in the Tumalo area west of Bend and the Three Sisters Irrigation District delivers waters of Wychus Creek from the Cascades through the town of Sisters and down to the Lower Bridge area of Terrebonne.

The Ochoco Irrigation District distributes water from the Crooked River below Bowman Dam which captures runoff from the Ochocos, the area most imperiled low snowpack.

One byproduct of the continued California drought is an increase in visits by ranchers and farmers considering relocating cattle and crop operations to Central Oregon where water problems are much less severe.

Brooks turns over Madras housing project to foundation

            Brooks Resources, a longstanding developer of quality planned communities in Central Oregon, has announced the sale of its Yarrow project in Madras to the Bean Foundation.

            Included in the sale are 20 acres for potential

l development and 49 permitted lots according to a statement reported in the Madras Pioneer newspaper. Altogether the project is approximately 800 acres with about 30 sold lots and 15 homes.

            Bend-based Brooks began the master-planned community in 2007 with partners Taylor Northwest, a major construction company, and Jeld-Wen, door and window manufacturer based in Klamath County.

            The Bean Foundation was initially instrumental in working with the City of Madras to create the Yarrow concept and in 2005 attracted Brooks and its other partners under the umbrella of the Madras Land Development Co. At that time the foundation owned slightly more than 180 acres and the the city about 620 acres.

            As the housing market boomed  Brooks had also expanded out of the Bend area to Prineville with the Ironhorse community on the former ranch east of downtown.

            Brooks later assumed control of Yarrow from its original partners as the housing market contracted and sales slumped.   Brooks officials said the company would remain involved into 2016 to assist in the transition of Yarrow.

            The Bean Foundation was created in 1981 with funding from the late Al Bean. It has been dedicated to improving the Madras community through various activities including support for schools and Central Oregon Community College in Madras, the Madras Aquatic Center, and boys and girls clubs to mention a few.

Bend 2015 - a milestone for many new projects

            It’s an understatement to say Bend has a full plate of government and civic issues or projects heading into the summer months of 2015.

            With the housing market recovery well underway many issues that had been dormant with the poor economy are now coming to the top of a busy agenda.

            What to do with Mirror Pond? Where to build the 4-Year OSU-Cascades Campus? How to fashion an Urban Growth Boundary plan to satisfy the State of Oregon? These are the key issues as yet decided.

            Already underway, however, is the Bridge Creek piping and water treatment project after the city has mostly prevailed in and number of challenges.

            Also progressing are two recreation projects that promise to build on the city’s established tourism reputation and appeal as well to outdoor-loving residents- the new whitewater park and fish passage at Colorado Street on the Deschutes and a nearby recreation center that will include the city’s first public ice rink.

            Add to the mix that Deschutes County, with Bend leading the way, has just been named the fastest growing county in Oregon, growth which also brings related pressure on streets, highways and other infrastructure.

The future vision for Mirror Pond

Mirror Pond of the Deschutes River framed by Fall foliage

After many months and numerous public meetings and surveys Bend City Council has approved in principle a plan that would retain many features of Mirror Pond on the Deschutes River, while also involve removing an the existing small hydroelectric dam and redevelopment of properties along the stream into mixed use residential, office and retail facilities.

As envisioned the plan would entail the city acquiring the current dam property from the utility PacificCorp. and financing redevelopment of that and other downtown city property in a public-private partnership.

Thus far PacificCorp. has yet to agree to selling the dam and property although parks and other city officials have been meeting with power company representatives.

OSU-Cascades: an emerging 4-Year campus

The Oregon State University Cascades campus will admit its first freshman class of 100 students for a 4-year degree in the Fall of 2015 as plans to build facilities on a 10-acre site on Bend’s west side work their way through a legal challenge.

The first year students will take classes and have the opportunity to live on the existing shared OSU Cascaces-Central Oregon Community College campus.

The initial Phase I site at NW Chandler Avenue and Century Drive was approved by the City of Bend. But some residents acting under the umbrella organization, Truth in Site, delayed the project with an appeal to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. LUBA is expected to issue a decision in late April. 

Assuming the university will move ahead with the initial 10-acre site it would then initiate the process for approvals in an adjacent 46-acre site to complete the campus with additional classroom, administration and student housing.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

OSU Cascades 4-Year Campus survives council vote - next hurdle a state appeal?

How and where should Bend grow?

Among all the big issues facing Bend in 2015 the successful completion of its state-required plan for how and where the city will grow may have the broadest impact.

The city, as with most larger municipalities in Oregon,  must come up with a plan for expanding its urban growth boundary to provide enough land to accommodate growth in 20-year increments.

Bend is already behind the curve after having earlier attempts remanded by the state Department of Land Conservation and Development. The agency essentially said the city did not adequately consider existing land for development within the current boundary or provide for greater density.

There is more urgency as Bend and Deschutes County’s population increases at a pace greater than most Oregon cities. More affordable single family housing inventory is scarce and the rental property vacancy rate is by some accounts below 1% while rental costs reach historic levels.

As a consequence of the state’s rejection of the city’s initial UGB plan in 2008, local citizen and other members of advisory groups have scaled back  from about 8,000  to a range of 1,000 to about 3,000 the acreage that might be added to the city. A housing mix of 55% single family, 10% townhome-type and 35% multi-family units such as apartments is now being considered.

By some estimates more than 80% of Bend residential units constructed over the past approximately six years were single family homes.

City officials are also working on a plan that would channel greater density development of mixed use including residential, retail and office development to the east of the present downtown core along the Highway 97 - Third Street commercial corridor.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Bend UGB process takes a big step in a long trek

The Bridge Creek water project: City’s moving ahead after legal battle

Although it’s running several years behind the original plan, Bend’s expansion of its water system is moving ahead with a favorable decision in US District Court.

The Forest Service environmental impact statement regarding diverting water across the federal agency’s managed land west of Bend adequately addressed key issues, the court ruled in December.

Central Oregon Land Watch promptly appealed the ruling to the often enviromentalist-friendly Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Then an attorney for Land Watch  initiated an attempt at mediation, according to reports in local media.

At issue with the opponents is whether expanding the city’s existing groundwater wells to accommodate additional capacity would be more beneficial to the environment and fish habitat than increased withdrawals from Bridge and Tumalo Creeks to provide Bend’s domestic water. The city project involves replacing aging pipe that diverts from the Tumalo Creek watershed, and construction of a new water treatment filtration system.

The project was formed after the federal Environmental Protection Agency warned Bend it would need to design additional improvements in the system to address problems with potential hazardous bacteria such as cryptosporidium.

"Play to Live"-Bend’s new mantra for recreation projects

The Colorado Street dam is now history

Anyone crossing the Colorado Avenue Bridge on in early Spring of 2015 is an eyewitness to a monumental and much anticipated change in the historic flow of the Deschutes River through town.

A dam built early the last century to hold logs for the city’s once thriving mill is now gone and the site is busy with large cranes and other heavy equipment moving rocks and other material to create the estimated $9.7 million “Colorado Dam Safe Passage Project.”

When complete, possibily in late Summer this year, the river will have three channels including the centerpiece whitewater park with waves that can be manipulated by computers inflating and deflating rubber bladders in the water.

Another channel will be for casual river floaters and the third will be designed as habitat for fish and other wildlife that use riparian areas.

 

     At Colorado and Simpson Avenue, only a block uphill from the river project, construction crews are well along with site preparation for the new multi-sports complex  that will have a seasonal ice rink for skating and hockey along with courts for pickleball, basketball, volleyball, tennis and badminton. It’s also expected to open later in 2015.

Bend Parks and Recreation has adopted the slogan "Play to Live" to describe the new project initiatives.

Townhomes & Condos also showing strength

            As single family homes prices continue to recover across Central Oregon the much smaller category of townhomes and condominiums is also showing substantial strength.

            Most of that market segment is concentrated in Bend, with 260 sales in calendar 2014, followed by Redmond, 54, Sunriver, 38, and Sisters, 24. Of the four sub-markets, Bend accounted for nearly 70% of townhome and condo sales.

            Redmond notched the largest gain in median prices of townhomes and condos, with a 16.42% increase to $195,000, followed by Sisters, 12.41% to $203,774; Sunriver, 10.18% to $212,088; and Bend, 9.50% to $259,250.

            Given the pace of 12-month sales Bend is showing the greatest demand with only a 4.57 months inventory while Sunriver had the highest inventory at 12 months, Redmond, 5.76 and Sisters, 6.78.  

            The tighter inventory in Bend generally reflects the city’s position as the largest sub-market in Central Oregon, as well as the demand for housing at prices lower than the cost of single family homes. In Bend, the price of a single family home in 2014 was $303,386.

            Townhomes and condos in Bend have attracted not only vacation home buyers at neighborhoods such as Mt. Bachelor Village and 7^th Mountain Resort (formerly Inn at the 7^th Mountain) but also investors seeking properties for the exceptionally tight rental market where vacancy rates are reported at less than 1%.