In the Media

SISTERS — Sparks flew along Whychus Creek late last week as welders worked to piece together specialized fish screens along two parallel 140-foot concrete chutes.

SALEM — Discussions over a voter- approved law that uses lottery money for parks and natural areas have local conservation groups concerned.

More hydroelectric plants could be in the region’s future, with the Central Oregon Irrigation District studying the feasibility of six sites along its canals.

Two Crook County water experts will talk to residents Wednesday morning about the past, present and future of water resources in the Prineville area as government officials continue to find ways to keep the county hydrated.

Measure 76, passed by voters in the fall election, guaranteed that 15 percent of lottery revenue goes to parks and wildlife habitat. That may be about $160 million per biennium. The Nature Conservancy helped lead the campaign. The group made a deal to ensure the measure got past the Legislature. Now, the deal is broken.

The controversy concerning the future of Bend’s water supply is critical to everyone in the area. Surprisingly, for something of this significance, very few people are aware of the real issues.

City of Bend officials hope an $82,000 investment they make today will result in some cost savings in the future on a $58 million to $73 million reconstruction of the Bridge Creek water system.

Experts in fields ranging from natural resources economics to engineering debated the potential impacts of the city of Bend’s $58 million to $78 million reconstruction of its Bridge Creek water system Monday night during a forum at the Oregon State University-Cascades campus.

The city of Bend has a list of more than $200 million in transportation, water and sewer improvements it would like to undertake over the next five years to either upgrade its current network of infrastructure or simply repair and maintain it.