NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Project would restore configuration of Union creeks
By DICK MASON
EO Media Group
UNION — A pair of
Union County creeks may
someday twist like they
did when buffalo herds
drank from their waters and
salmon runs in the streams
were thick.
Under a proposal from
the Union Soil and Water
Conservation District, seg-
ments of Catherine Creek
and Little Creek, on the
eastern edge of the city of
Union, would be restored
so they would again mean-
der as they did before their
channels were straightened
many decades ago for agri-
cultural reasons. The project
would be part of the Buffalo
Flats Restoration Project
and involve a 1.5-mile por-
tion of Catherine Creek and
a 1.4-mile segment of Little
Creek. The stream segments
are on land owned by Buf-
falo Peak Land and Live-
stock, which is collaborating
with the conservation dis-
trict on the project.
The owners of Buffalo
Peak Land and Livestock
— appropriately named
because there is confirmed
evidence that centuries
ago bison roamed what is
today Union — want to help
restore Chinook salmon,
steelhead and bull trout hab-
itat while continuing to have
Oregon Department of Transportation Photo
Ice jams like this on in 2014 on Catherine Creek east of Union put the city at risk of flooding. A
project to restore meanders to the creek would reduce large ice jams.
stock approves the plan, the
district will seek funding for
it from the Bonneville Power
Administration and the Ore-
gon Watershed Enhance-
ment Board with the help
of the Grande Ronde Model
Watershed.
In addition to improv-
ing fish habitat, another
major intent of the project
is to reduce flooding and
erosion. Winter flooding
has been an issue for years
in Union because ice jams
sometimes develop in both
streams, especially in Cath-
a viable ranching operation,
said James Webster, conser-
vation district manager. Chi-
nook salmon, steelhead and
bull trout are all listed as
threatened under the federal
Endangered Species Act.
“(The owners) have been
very good to work with,”
Webster said
He said Buffalo Peak
Land
and
Livestock
approached the conservation
district about the Buffalo
Flats project, and the district
is developing a plan. If Buf-
falo Peak Land and Live-
Forecast for Pendleton Area
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
A few showers this
afternoon
Cloudy and not
as cool
Mostly cloudy and
mild
A shower in the
morning; cloudy
Rain and drizzle
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
53° 44°
56° 41°
48° 39°
50° 42°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
45° 40°
50° 42°
58° 41°
53° 39°
51° 43°
OREGON FORECAST
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
Olympia
51/49
38/35
42/34
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
43/39
Lewiston
50/49
46/40
Astoria
52/51
Pullman
Yakima 41/37
48/47
43/38
Portland
Hermiston
50/48
The Dalles 45/40
Salem
Corvallis
50/48
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
40/37
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
52/48
45/38
42/38
Ontario
42/35
Caldwell
Burns
45°
28°
42°
29°
62° (1972) -35° (1930)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
50/49
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
48/39
Trace
0.13"
0.88"
0.13"
1.14"
0.88"
BAKER
CITY
—
Northeastern
Oregon’s
snowpack went from paltry
to plentiful.
And the transformation
took just a week or so.
A series of snowstorms
that started Jan. 10 has
more than doubled the
water content in the snow
at several measuring sites
around the region.
Water content, not snow
depth, is the key statistic in
snowpack because a foot of
heavy snow can hold more
Today
Thu.
SSE 4-8
SSE 7-14
SSW 4-8
S 7-14
39/28
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020
eastern Oregon.
A sampling of the dra-
matic changes these snowy
systems made:
• Schneider Meadows,
in the Wallowa Mountains
north of Halfway, went
from 8.4 inches of water
content on Jan. 1 (68% of
average) to 16.4 inches
now, which is exactly aver-
age for this time of the
winter.
• Bourne, north of
Sumpter, more than dou-
bled the water content, from
4.3 inches on Jan. 1 (63% of
average) to 9.1 inches now,
95% of average.
• Moss Springs, in the
Wallowas above Cove,
went from a water content
of 8.6 inches on Jan. 1 (84%
of average) to 14.9 inches,
which is 8% above average.
BRIEFLY
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
water than 18 inches of
powder.
The mountain snowpack
is a major source of water
during the spring and sum-
mer, when melting snow
keeps streams flowing and
refills reservoirs.
After a major storm
at Thanksgiving, snow
was scarce during most
of December and the first
week of January, leaving
the snowpack at a little
more than half of average.
In December, for the
first time since early April
2019, the U.S. Drought
Monitor rated Northeast-
ern Oregon as “abnormally
dry,” the category prelimi-
nary to drought.
But then the jet stream
started propelling Pacific
storms directly into North-
WINDS (in mph)
44/35
38/28
0.04"
0.90"
1.03"
0.90"
1.45"
1.03"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 40/34
50/49
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
45/40
41/37
45°
27°
42°
28°
62° (1909) -26° (1930)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
49/47
Aberdeen
37/34
36/32
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
48/47
By JAYSON JACOBY
EO Media Group
PENDLETON
TEMP.
Seattle
Several sites have
more than doubled
their snowpack
this month
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
of ice jams because they
draw solar energy that pre-
vents the formation of large
sheets of ice.
The plan also calls
for planting an extensive
amount of vegetation along
the banks of the portions of
Catherine Creek and Lit-
tle Creek to provide addi-
tional stability and buffer
the impact of flooding. Veg-
etation also provide shade,
which will cool the water.
Cool water is a critical part
of habitat for salmon, steel-
head and bull trout, Webster
said.
There will be more
opportunities for additional
vegetation to take hold along
the portions of Catherine
and Little creeks because
of the curvature that will be
added. Restoring the mean-
der will slow down the water
flow and result in shallower
channels, which will help
trees and plants in the area
of the creeks because the
water tables will be on levels
that reach nearby vegetation.
Webster said the Union
Soil and Water Conservation
District is receiving fund-
ing and technical assistance
from the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation to develop the
Buffalo Flats plan, which
will take about two years.
Whatever plan the district
drafts, he said, will not have
an effect on water rights.
Series of storms over one
week bolsters snowpack
TODAY
45° 40°
erine Creek, where they can
extend for at least 120 yards.
When the jams break, the
release of water behind them
causes Catherine Creek and
its tributary Little Creek to
swell and jump their banks,
resulting in flood damage.
The project would widen
portions of Catherine and
Little creeks to reduce the
chance of ice jams, Web-
ster said, and reconfigure a
portion of Medical Springs
Highway that runs along
the Catherine Creek, which
would expand what is now
a narrow portion of the
steam’s channel.
“The highway now acts
like a levy,” Webster said,
and changing the loca-
tion of the road would cre-
ate breathing room for the
creek. Large chunks of float-
ing river ice would flow to
the wider area, reducing
pressure in the creek.
“(The pieces of river ice)
would be spread out. They
would be detained before
coming into town,” Webster
said.
He also said the Buffalo
Flats project would reduce
flooding even when no ice
jams are present because it
would widen channels and
create floodplains for excess
water to spill onto. If flood-
ing occurs after the proj-
ect is completed, the water
would flow into areas where
there are no structures.
The project would add
boulders and trees to the
creek channels to prevent
erosion. The trees would
be at least 12 feet long and
imbedded in the banks with
large root wads exposed in
the water. The trees would
provide permanent stability
to the creek banks.
The trees and boulders
also would improve fish
habitat by providing more
hiding cover and creating
pools, Webster added, and
would reduce the likelihood
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
7:28 a.m.
4:46 p.m.
5:55 a.m.
2:45 p.m.
New
First
Full
Last
Jan 24
Feb 1
Feb 8
Feb 15
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 69° in El Centro, Calif. Low -28° in Ely, Minn.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Small plane crash-lands at
Sunriver Airport
but was contained shortly after the crash,
Wright said.
SUNRIVER — A small airplane
crashed Monday at the Sunriver Airport,
but the pilot and passenger, both from
Bend, were uninjured and walked away
from the crash.
The pilot was a student with Lead-
ing Edge Flight Academy, said Brandon
Wright, the Sunriver Airport manager. He
said he did not know whether the passenger
was also a student.
“He tried to land here and had some
issues,” Wright said.
Wright said he did not know the name
of the pilot.
A report of the crash came in at about
12:40 p.m. The plane, a Cessna 172, could
be seen upside-down next to the icy run-
way at the airport. Sunriver Police Depart-
ment said the crash occurred as the plane
was landing.
The airport closed shortly after the inci-
dent, but reopened around 3 p.m.
Only a small fuel leak was reported,
Hood River residents told to
boil water over bacteria fears
HOOD RIVER — A boil water advi-
sory is in effect for water customers in
Hood River after “potentially harmful bac-
teria” was found in the supply on Sunday
evening.
KOIN reported that a loss of water pres-
sure in the distribution system caused the
potential for bacteria to infiltrate the sup-
ply and could cause sickness for those with
weakened immune systems.
City officials said customers should boil
their water for at least 1 minute, and then
let it cool before bottling it. The boiled
water should be used for drinking, brush-
ing teeth, preparing food and baby formula,
washing fruit and vegetables, making ice
and cleaning surfaces in contact with food.
Hood River officials expect to resolve
the issue within 48 hours.
—EO Media Group and Associated Press
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
50s
ice
60s
cold front
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