8A | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020 | SIUSLAW NEWS
DIVE from page 1A
According to Hopkins, his
hobby for diving turned in
his dream career, but along
the way he also found a pas-
sion for environmental con-
servation.
He and his team plan to
continue maintenance at
Woahink Lake, along with
branching out to cleaning
up Blue River Reservoir
Dam as well.
“We are also planning
our next underwater clean-
up at Woahink, so keep an
eye out for us around Labor
Day weekend,” Hopkins
said.
To report marine debris
or to help participate and
learn how to safely remove
these unwanted items from
the water, contact Eugene
Skin Divers Supply at 541-
342-2351.
To find out more about
the Project AWARE’s Dive
Against Debris program,
visit www.projectaware.org.
In time, however, Hop-
kins started seeing trash
accumulate again. So, he de-
cided to make a long-term
commitment to keep the
lake cleaner than he found it
by adopting the site through
Project AWARE’s Adopt a
Dive Site program.
“I really want to empha-
size that this is a partnership
involving local area divers,
Eugene Skin Divers Supply
owners Michael and Diana
Hollingshead, and the Or-
egon Parks Department —
PHOTOS BY LENA FELT/SIUSLAW NEWS
specifically Justin Helberg,
Divers pick up underwater debris during their train-
park manager at Jessie M.
ing at Woahink Lake on Aug. 1.
Honeyman Park,” Hopkins
However, the monthly about our underwater con-
said. “Mike and Diana have
surveys stopped when all servation efforts,” Hopkins
supplied free gear rentals to
Oregon state parks closed said. “Our goal was to teach
cleanup participants and the
in March.
them to be good stewards of
park staff have taken care of
That changed last week- our aquatic world and how
properly disposing the ma-
end when Hopkins had his to preserve the habitat that
rine debris we bring up.”
first opportunity to dive at the animals and people of
After adopting the West
the site after it reopened to the area rely upon.”
Boat Ramp site, Hopkins
the public.
and other local scuba divers
“Thankfully we only
began performing monthly
found a few small items
marine debris surveys that
of marine debris, which
mapped out the location of
amounted to about 1.5
any new trash that needed
pounds,” Hopkins said.
to be disposed of.
“Unfortunately, we also re-
“Because of our success,
moved a cat litter box full
we started branching out to
on concrete that weighed
different areas of the lake
nearly 50 pounds.”
such as under the Canary
Crystell Wise
Bridge and Church Beach
Broker, SRES
But he wasn’t there just
— which is near the day-
541 991-9487
to just collect more debris.
use gazebo by the east boat
8399 Duncan Island Rd – Stunning home with 2
Hopkins spent the day in-
ramp,” Hopkins said. “So
bdrms plus loft, and 2.5 baths on Duncan Island.
Cast your line off your private dock. This home
structing students who
far, we’ve had 79 divers par-
has 1.77 acres with beautiful landscaping and riv-
were in their final stage of
ticipate in removing 2,216
er frontage, as well as access to the south slough.
Before COVID-19 shut all of the trash at the site, a becoming diving certified.
items, with a total weight of
$480,000. #3101-20292428
“We had a large family of
3,736.33 pounds from Woa- everything down, volun- great accomplishment for
1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200
eight that were learning all
teers had eliminated almost Hopkins.
hink Lake.”
Buying or Selling? I can help.
Public
charge
rule
blocked
A judge issued new in-
junctions this week block-
ing the public charge im-
migration rule during the
COVID-19 pandemic. This
will allow immigrant com-
munities across Oregon and
the rest of the country to ac-
cess critical health care and
public benefits during the
current health crisis.
The injunction issued
against the Department of
Homeland Security prevents
the agency from enforcing,
applying,
implementing,
or treating as effective the
“public charge” rule for any
period during a declared na-
tional health emergency in
response to the COVID-19
outbreak. The rule had ex-
panded the list of benefits
that the federal government
could consider in deciding
whether a person can enter
the United States or obtain
lawful permanent residency.
“The public charge rule
has worsened health dispar-
ities, especially for the Lati-
no/a/x community, at a time
when they are most hard hit
by the lethal coronavirus,”
said Patrick Allen, Oregon
Health Authority Director.
“Here in Oregon many im-
migrant families decided
not to access public benefits,
even leaving their children
without health insurance.”
In January the Supreme
Court issued a ruling that
lifted an October 2019 de-
cision to block the public
charge rule, allowing it to
go into effect. As a result,
the Department of Home-
land Security began enforc-
ing the rule on Feb. 24, just
before the coronavirus out-
break became a nationwide
pandemic.
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