In the Media

The slow trickle-down effect of "stimulus" funds has finally brought American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars to Sisters. And along with the money came a few forest jobs that politicians were hyping during the past mid-term elections.

As workers with J & S Trucking reconstructed a section of Whychus Creek this fall, placing logs in the banks and boulders in the creek bed to create fish habitat, the work was a far cry from what the company was doing a decade ago.

On Nov. 3, as city councilors prepared to make a potentially historic decision to approve one of Bend’s largest-ever infrastructure projects — one that could cost up to $73 million — John Maxwell stood before them to defend his company.

Bend city councilors gave their support to a multimillion-dollar upgrade to the city’s Bridge Creek water system that could increase rates for customers by 37 to 45 percent over the next five years.

Skepticism over a $73 million proposal to upgrade Bend’s Bridge Creek water system has brought together a diverse group of businessmen and conservationists who aren’t sure the project is the best for ratepayers, economic development or the Deschutes River watershed.

When Prineville’s new wastewater treatment plant is complete, City Engineer Eric Klann believes it will not only treat the city’s waste but also help attract new businesses to the area and serve as a recreational destination for people from around the region.

A stretch of the Metolius River will be closed to the public later this month due to a habitat restoration project that will involve a helicopter placing trees in the water, according to a news release from the Deschutes National Forest.

The steelhead run on the Lower Deschutes this year will not match last year's record-setting number, but anglers should still find good fishing on the river well into November, according to fish biologists.

This year, about 100,000 chinook, sockeye and steelhead swam into the large fish collection facility at Round Butte Dam on Lake Billy Chinook.