Dam work could breach parks budget.Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Bill Dwyer For The Register-Guard What's a reservoir without water? Oregon's most popular "lake," Fern Ridge Reservoir Fern Ridge Reservoir is a reservoir on the Long Tom River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The reservoir is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) west of Eugene on Oregon Route 126. Fern Ridge Reservoir is a U.S. , is a boon to the parks program for the entire county. When it is empty, boaters, swimmers, fishers, picnickers and others are affected. What would be the countywide impact of Fern Ridge being drained? The four county parks at the reservoir provide a significant amount of revenue for the Lane County Parks Division; this income would be lost. This one body of water accounts for 22 percent of the division's annual budget. If it is left empty during the summer for repairs, the division would lose $280,000 per season - placing all parks in Lane County at risk. In addition, the remaining county parks would be under pressure to absorb increased demand - demand that could exceed their capacity. Lane County's parks are not funded by property taxes. The division is set up to be self-funded through fees, a pay-as-you-go entity. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers believes it must drain the reservoir to protect the public's safety until the earthen earth·en adj. 1. Made of earth or clay: an earthen fortification; an earthen pot. 2. Earthly; worldly. berm berm: see beach. , which provides vital flood control, is repaired and reinforced. A breach in the dam could mean a dangerous flood downstream on the Long Tom and Willamette rivers. The Lane County Board of Commissioners recently sent a letter to U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio Peter Anthony DeFazio (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician. He serves as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Oregon, representing the 4th Congressional District and is currently serving his 11th term. and Sens. Ron Wyden Ronald Lee Wyden (born May 3, 1949) is Oregon's senior United States Senator. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Early career and personal life Wyden was born in Wichita, Kansas to Edith Rosenow and Peter H. and Gordon Smith
Gordon Harold Smith (born May 25, 1952) is Oregon's junior United States Senator, currently serving his second term. He is a member of the Republican Party. outlining the seriousness of the situation and asking for $280,000 per year to backfill back·fill n. Material used to refill an excavated area. tr.v. back·filled, back·fill·ing, back·fills To refill (an excavated area) with such material. the parks budget while the reservoir is dry. We appreciate the fact that our congressional delegation is working hard to secure money for the dam repairs and to make Lane County parks whole. Funding is not likely to come from the corps. Tapping federal Commerce Department budgets or other federal appropriations may have more potential to cover the loss of fee revenue. Dams and reservoirs have been receiving higher degrees of scrutiny and consideration under homeland security Noun 1. Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Department of Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States planning and disaster preparedness programs. Because Fern Ridge provides a critical flood control function, it must be repaired quickly. To delay doing so puts the public downstream at risk. Furthermore, as the state's most popular "lake," the reservoir has an economic impact. The four parks at Fern Ridge - Orchard Point, Richardson, Zumwalt and Perkins Peninsula - are important recreation destinations and bring in a wide range of visitors, ranging from sailors for regattas to fishers, boaters, swimmers, campers and picnickers. They spend money at local stores, eat in local restaurants, use local services and stay in local hotels. Mitigating the local impact of the Fern Ridge dam repairs will keep Lane County's parks, economy, recreation and safety out of deep waters "Deep Waters" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the March 25 1910 issue of Collier's Weekly, and in the United Kingdom in the June 1910 issue of the Strand. . Bill Dwyer represents the Springfield District on the Lane County Board of Commissioners. |
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