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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2015)
26 Wednesday, January 7, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon oregon dam malfunctions; The Nugget Newspaper Crossword hatchery fish released By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service LEABURG (AP) — Mal- functioning gates at a dam on the McKenzie River have led state biologists to release more than 50,000 hatchery trout into Willamette Valley fishing spots at a time of year when there’s not enough food to give them a good chance to survive. The fish are from a state hatchery at the Leaburg Dam, part of small hydroelectric operations on the McKenzie. The Eugene Water & Electric Board dam dates to 1929. Two of its gates are closed and stuck that way, the Eugene Register-Guard reported. The third gate is open, and officials of the city utility don’t want to move it up or down much for fear it also will malfunction. So the river is flowing through, draining the reser- voir and depleting a supply of water that would normally go into the hatchery, built in 1953. Dumping young trout this early “is a bit of gamble. There’s not enough food to give them good survival” chances, said Jeff Ziller, a biologist for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department still has 430,000 trout and 110,000 steelhead at the Leaburg hatchery. It is using five por- table diesel pumps to draw water from the McKenzie in hope of providing enough in the breeding ponds to sustain them, said Eric Withalm, the hatchery manager. The agency is also ponder- ing what to do with 800,000 salmon at a hatchery two miles downstream that gets water via a canal from the reservoir. That hatchery is also fed by a small natural stream, but with the canal flow dwindling, “we are looking for another home for those fish,” Ziller said. Most of the fish trucked Monday to lakes and reser- voirs in the south and mid- Willamette Valley are fin- gerlings. About 9,300 are one-pounders. The fish are usually stocked in the spring, when there’s more food, such as insects. The Eugene utility says it is working to fix the Leaburg Dam. When functioning, the gates roll up to allow water to flow out of the lake, and roll down to shut and build up water in the lake. The No. 2 gate, in the middle of the dam, abruptly crashed down and shut in 2012. Repair work is underway. The No. 1 gate stopped working earlier this month. It is largely closed. The util- ity is evaluating how to make repairs. — Last Week’s Puzzle Solved — oregon ax-maker settles with feds for $2.6 million PORTLAND (AP) — Fis- kars Brands Inc. has agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle allegations that safety regula- tors weren’t promptly alerted about a potentially defective ax made by the company’s Oregon-based subsidiary. Federal prosecutors say Gerber Legendary Blades, based in Tigard, started receiv- ing complaints within months of releasing the Gator Combo Axe in 2005. It reported potential hazards five years later and later issued a recall. Court documents show customers complained that a knife secured by magnets inside the ax handle would slide out and slice them, The Oregonian reported. Consumer protection laws require manufacturers to alert regulators immedi- ately after they learn about a product defect that poses a “substantial risk” of injury. The settlement was announced Wednesday by the U.S. attorney’s office in Port- land. It awaits court approval. The company reported potential hazards with the ax to the federal Consumer Prod- uct Safety Commission in 2010 and issued a voluntary recall the next year. Custom- ers were offered a cap for the ax’s handle. One man filed suit against the company in April 2009, saying he suffered perma- nent wrist injuries, includ- ing nerve damage, when the knife fell from the ax and cut him, according to the federal complaint. Another customer informed the company in July 2010 that he suffered severe nerve damage and lost some use of his hand. One woman, so concerned after injuring herself with the ax, wrote to the company in August 2009 and strongly urged it “to recall and dis- continue this product ASAP,” according to the complaint. In addition to the penalty, Fiskars agreed to set up a pro- gram to track product safety hazards. The company did not admit breaking any laws. This Week’s Crossword Sponsors 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. • Sun. 12-5 p.m. • Closed Tues. 11:30 a.m.-close • Closed Tues. www.theclearwatergallery.com Join us for Breakfast Friday F i d • Saturday S d • Sunday S d 541-549-2572 | 250 W. Cascade Ave. Check our website for hours, www.sistersdepot.com Éminence Organic Beauty Products Natural, organic, and mineral cosmetics are vitamin-rich and paraben-free Essentials Skincare Tinted Moisturizer • Mineral Foundation • Lip Gloss Mineral Sun Defense Powder (SPF 30 & available in 6 colors!) 541-480-1412 | 541-588-6271 | 492 E. Main Ave. | Mon-Sat Flexible Hours | www.SistersEssentials.com
