26
Wednesday, February 8, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
FLOODING:
Advance preparation
is advisable
Continued from page 1
for the area, suggestions for
personal preparedness, and
local emergency response
expectations.
The Sisters Public Works
Department, headed by
Director Paul Bertagna, has
been actively involved in
planning and training with
Deschutes County and a
number of other organiza-
tions for any possible flood
threat from the creek.
Members of the Sisters
E m e rg e n c y O p e r a t i o n s
Center, who will be pres-
ent at the meeting to pro-
vide information and answer
questions, include: Rick
Allen, Sisters city manager,
and Paul Bertagna and Nicole
Montalvo of the Sisters
Public Works Department;
Kyle Gorman, South Central
region manager of the
Oregon Water Resources
Department, that oversees
ground and surface water,
dams, and water rights; Fire
Chief Roger Johnson and
Deputy Chief of Operations
Tim Craig of the Sisters-
Camp Sherman RFPD; and
Sgt. Nathan Garibay of the
Deschutes County Sheriff’s
Office, emergency services
program manager.
Approximately 80 par-
cels of land within the city
limits lie within the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) 100-year
floodplain, about 75 per-
cent of them developed.
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers conducted stud-
ies, which resulted in the
flood plain designations for
both Whychus Creek and the
Little Deschutes River.
Limited flooding has
occurred along the Little
Deschutes River, Whychus
and Tumalo creeks, with
the most significant event
occurring in 1964. After that
flooding, the Corps channel-
ized Whychus Creek (then
called Squaw Creek) to get it
through town and Camp Polk
Meadow quickly, and theo-
retically reduce the odds of
more flooding.
The passage of time has
shown, however, that creat-
ing straight channels has cre-
ated a multitude of problems,
including eliminating a once-
healthy run of salmon and
trout, eroding creek banks
due to rapid water flow, and
an increased flooding risk.
Since the 1990s, a num-
ber of public and private
entities have been work-
ing together to mitigate the
damage done by straight-
ening out the creek. The
Deschutes Land Trust has
completed an extensive proj-
ect at Camp Polk Meadow
where the original creek bed
was restored, so the water
spreads out over the meadow
to reduce the risk of flooding.
Additionally, fish habitat and
the original meadow ecosys-
tem were restored.
The Sisters EOC has been
working with the Deschutes
County Emergency Services
program to do appropri-
ate planning prior to, and
response in the event of,
a flood event in Whychus
Creek. Coordinated plan-
ning ahead of an emergency
or disaster helps provide for
an organized, efficient, and
effective response by all
agencies involved.
Although households and
individuals are not formally a
part of the emergency opera-
tions plans, they certainly
can contribute to a positive
outcome by getting educated
on what to expect, and mak-
ing appropriate preparations
in advance.
The Friday forum will
help you know what steps
need to be taken to protect
yourself, your family, and
your dwelling in case of
flooding, such as shutting
off propane at the tank, and
appropriately using sand-
bags. Residents who live
within the 100-year-flood
plain would be wise to have
flood insurance. If you have
insurance, check with your
insurance agent to be sure
you are doing what you need
to do in order for your cover-
age to be valid should flood-
ing occur.
Volunteers have hand-
delivered flyers for the
meeting to the properties
located in the special flood
hazard area designated by
FEMA, but all members of
the community are welcome
to attend the February 10
meeting.
BOWE: Army and
law enforcement
were part of service
Continued from page 5
District budget commit-
tee, and remains active in
an assortment of veterans
groups, from the Sisters Band
of Brothers, to the VFW, and
was a key player in helping
Sisters earn its designation as
a Purple Heart City.
Bowe is an active mem-
ber of the 173rd Airborne
Veterans Association, and
has enjoyed reunions with
his comrades in Australia,
Alaska, and Fort Bragg. He
and Sandy are looking for-
ward to another reunion in
May, in Oklahoma City.
Pat and Sandy, who were
engaged prior to his departure
for Vietnam, raised two sons
together — both U.S. Army
veterans — and enjoy five
grandchildren.
“All of the credit goes to
Sandy” for keeping the fam-
ily running and enduring
through the years of deploy-
ments, shift work, and fre-
quent absences, Pat said.
The Bowes love their life
in Sisters.
“It’s been a real fun seven
years,” Pat says. “The people
here are courteous. We are
blessed to live here.”
When asked what has
driven him to such a remark-
able career, Pat thought for a
moment.
“It’s a cliché,” he said,
“But I like to help people,
and I like to be in a position
to give back.”
After 48 years of service,
it seems quite clear that Pat
Bowe has given back, and
lived an exemplary, and with-
out question heroic, life of
sacrifice.
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