BAKER CITY HERALD • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2022 A3
LOCAL
N.E. Oregon Snowpack Report
Snow Water Equivalent (inches)
Elevation
Measuring Site
Aneroid Lake
Anthony Lakes
Beaver Reservoir
Bourne
County Line
Eilertson Meadow
Gold Center
High Ridge
Little Alps
Little Antone
Moss Springs
Mount Howard
Schneider Meadow
Taylor Green
Tipton
Wolf Creek
AVERAGE
7,300
7,125
5,150
5,800
4,530
5,440
5,340
4,980
6,300
4,560
5,850
7,910
5,400
5,740
5,150
5,630
Now
Average
% of avg.
Last year
Last
month
10.5
17.6
8.5
9.2
4.0
9.6
9.1
19.1
8.6
7.4
17.7
9.2
18.2
12.2
8.4
6.0
17.0
19.8
9.0
12.4
3.2
8.6
8.5
20.1
10.4
8.8
20.2
12.0
23.8
17.0
10.3
14.6
62
89
94
74
125
112
107
91
83
84
88
77
76
72
82
48
85
N/A
22.7
13.9
16.0
6.4
13.1
14.6
32.1
13.0
10.4
26.6
11.3
29.5
26.7
13.8
15.9
9.2
14.8
6.7
9.8
4.4
8.6
7.5
15.8
7.0
6.6
13.6
7.9
17.3
10.3
7.7
6.0
Source: U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service
Snowpack
Continued from Page A1
He was, by coincidence,
speaking from Portland, there
to attend a meeting of the Or-
egon Potato Commission,
which he chairs.
Ward said rain was sluicing
down as he spoke.
“We just can’t seem to get it
across the mountains,” he said.
Few of the storms that have
pushed inland this winter have
maintained much momentum,
or brought much moisture, to
the bulk of Oregon that lies
east of the Cascade Mountains.
The Baker City Airport’s
rain gauge measured a paltry
0.01 of an inch of moisture for
February.
And that meager amount
— anything less wouldn’t even
have qualified as measurable
precipitation — came down on
the final day of the month.
February is not notable for
its deluges, to be sure.
The shortest month is also
the third-driest at the airport,
with an average of 0.62 of an
inch.
Only July (0.51) and Sep-
tember (0.57) are more dessi-
cated.
(August is close behind, with
an average of 0.63 of an inch.)
But even for a month distin-
guished by a scarcity of mois-
ture rather than a surfeit, this
February stands alone.
The 0.01 total is the least
measured at the airport since
1943, when record-keeping be-
gan there.
The previous record was .10
of an inch, a dubious distinc-
tion shared by 1997 and 2006.
2002 was only slightly more
moist, with 0.12 of an inch.
The absence of any signif-
icant storms also is reflected
in the mountain snowpack
around Northeastern Oregon
— a vital source of water for
farms and ranches, fish habitat,
recreation and some municipal
water supplies.
Although the snowpack in-
creased at most measuring
sites, the rises were modest
even by February’s standards.
As a result, the snowpack ac-
tually lost ground, in terms of
percentage of average, during
the month — dipping from 6%
below average at the start of
February to 15% below average
at month’s end.
That’s a troubling trend for
Ward and other farmers who
depend on the snowpack to
nourish their crops come sum-
mer. Ward’s family grows pep-
permint, wheat and alfalfa as
well as potatoes.
“The concern level is
high,” Ward said. “This could
be worse than last year. And
last year was the worst I’ve
ever seen.”
The snowpack certainly is
well beyond where it was one
year ago.
At the start of March 2021,
the snowpack in Northeast-
ern Oregon was about 29%
above average.
But that bountiful snowpack
didn’t translate into brimful
reservoirs, mainly because the
ground was so dry that much
School board to pick new chief
Baker City Herald
The Baker School Board
is scheduled to choose a new
superintendent for the Baker
5J School District during a
special meeting at noon on
Thursday, March 3.
The meeting will be con-
ducted via Zoom.
Last month the board
picked three finalists for the
job: Erin Lair, David Mar-
shall and William Schild-
bach.
About 50 people attended
a public event to meet the
trio on Feb. 24, at Baker
High School.
The finalists are:
• Erin Lair, a Baker High
School graduate who is the
director of school improve-
ment for the Intermountain
Education Service District.
She worked previously as
director of curriculum, in-
struction and technology
for the Sherwood School
District, and before that she
was assistant charter admin-
istrator for Vision Charter
School in Caldwell.
• David Marshall, the
superintendent of Brook-
ings-Harbor School Dis-
trict. Previously, Marshall
was assistant superintendent
for the Hermiston and Mil-
ton-Freewater school dis-
tricts, following more than
20 years of classroom teach-
ing experience.
• William Schildbach,
principal of Tikigaq School,
a pre-kindergarten through
12th grade school in Point
Hope, Alaska.
He earlier served as su-
perintendent of the Nome
Public Schools in Nome,
Alaska, and also worked as
principal of Mt. Spurr El-
ementary and Emmonak
School, both in Alaska.
Baker’s superintendent
since 2015, Mark Witty, an-
nounced in June 2021 that
he intended to retire through
the Oregon Public Employees
Retirement System on July 1
of that year, but that he would
continue to work as superin-
tendent for up to two years.
Books
Continued from Page A1
Readers are encouraged to
pick up a book bracket, fill
in their predictions, and sub-
mit it at the end of March for
a prize.
Book titles were chosen
based on the popularity at
the local library, bestseller
lists, recommendations from
participants in Oregon Battle
of the Books, and from the
library’s tween book club.
“These are some really
good books,” Grammon said.
“Most of them are award
winners.”
And, she pointed out, she
didn’t include popular titles
like “Percy Jackson” or the
Harry Potter series.
“I want people to know
there are other books out
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
A March Madness competition at the Baker County Public
Library allows younger readers to decide which books advance
in the bracket.
there than the usual,” she
said.
The book display, and
place to vote, is located in
the children’s section at the
library.
The featured titles are all
available to check out — and
if they are, Grammon said
she’ll have a paper replica in
place so readers can still see
the selections.
Sumpter
Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald
Bare patches in the ponderosa pine forests near Phillips Reservoir
on Feb. 26, 2022, reflect the scarcity of recent snowfall in North-
eastern Oregon.
“The concern level is high. This could be worse
than last year. And last year was the worst I’ve
ever seen.”
— Mark Ward, Baker Valley farmer
That vital source of ir-
rigation water for about
30,000 acres in Baker Val-
ley was depleted during the
2021 drought more than in
any year since it first filled
in 1968.
As of Tuesday, March 1, the
reservoir was holding 2,500
acre-feet of water — just 3% of
its capacity.
(One acre-foot of water
would cover one acre of flat
ground to a depth of one foot.)
Elsewhere in the Elkhorn
Mountains, the snowpack
dropped during February
from 5% below average at
Snowpack varies across region Anthony Lakes to 11% below
average, and from 3% below
The loss was more signifi-
average at Little Antone (near
cant in some areas.
At Bourne, for instance, in the Gorham Butte Road) to
the headwaters of the Powder 16% below average.
River north of Sumpter, the
The decline was much less
water content of the snow — at Eilertson Meadow along
a more relevant metric than
Rock Creek, one of the few
snow depth, since the mois-
places where the water con-
ture content of snow can vary tent remains above average —
greatly — actually shrank
12% above, almost identical to
during February, from 9.8
the 13% above at the start of
inches (exactly average) to 9.2 February.
inches, which is 26% below
In the Wallowas, the water
average.
content at Schneider Meadow,
Bourne is a bellwether mea- which was just 7% below av-
suring site for estimating the
erage on Feb. 1, is now 24%
amount of water that will flow below average after growing
into Phillips Reservoir this
by slightly less than one inch
spring and summer.
during the month.
of the melting snow soaked
into the soil.
If there’s a bright spot in the
current situation, Ward said,
it’s that widespread rain in the
fall of 2021 partially replen-
ished the desiccated soil be-
fore the ground froze and the
snow fell.
“We’re ahead of where we
were last year as far as ground
moisture,” he said.
That could lead to more of
the snowpack, paltry though
it is at this point, trickling into
streams and reservoirs com-
pared with 2021.
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Briscoe stop harassing us with obtain water from the park
your gossip around town, and and to dump gray and black
water from their holding
Continued from Page A1
that’s the result on my signs
tanks, since the additional
out there,” Patterson said. “I
Patterson said he does have think you should resign right weight of that water reduces
a city water connection and
now from this council, effec- gas mileage.
that guests would be allowed tive immediately. I’m here to
But Patterson responded by
to use it, but there will not be help this town. We’ve said it
saying that Briscoe can’t pre-
individual water service at
dict what guests will do.
from day one.”
each campsite.
“You’ve been trying to kill
Neither Briscoe nor De-
The park would not have
this park since day one,” Pat-
maris responded.
sewer connections at each
Lucas, though, disputes Pat- terson said.
site, either.
“No I haven’t,” Briscoe said.
terson’s contention that the
Patterson plans to install
“How about you guys just
city councilors have done any-
a septic tank for sewage dis-
thing to encourage someone come down to my park, and
posal that would be available to deface Patterson’s property. take turns every weekend, and
to guests.
“We also take the stand that count how many people fill
Patterson also said that
there is nothing that Council up and dump, and I’ll pay for
that,” Patterson said.
most of the park property is in has done or said that would
“We’re not here to tell
the Powder River flood zone. have given anybody impetus
you how to run your park,”
“We’re trying to be environ- to target him,” Lucas said.
Briscoe said.
mentally responsible with our
Demaris declined to
Demaris pointed out that
campground,” he said.
comment to the Baker City
Patterson said he is not ac- Herald, and Briscoe did not Sumpter’s two other RV parks
— which, unlike Patterson’s,
cusing anyone of being re-
return a phone message.
have water and sewer con-
sponsible for the graffiti be-
Disagreements date to 2021
nections for their sites — pay
cause he doesn’t know who
According to the minutes
a monthly fee based on the
did it.
number of sites.
But he is angry about what from the City Council’s June
She asked why it wasn’t
he calls a “runaround” that he 8, 2021, meeting, the Council
and his wife have experienced tabled Patterson’s application feasible for the city to charge
all RV parks based on the
with the Sumpter City Coun- for 60 days.
Patterson said the RV park same criteria.
cil regarding their business.
is an outright use on his prop-
“I don’t like charging peo-
During the City Coun-
cil’s most recent meeting, on erty and that the city can’t im- ple for something I’m not
Feb. 22, which both Patter- pose requirements on its de- giving them,” Patterson said,
referring to the lack of water
sons attended, Council Pres- sign and construction based
and sewer connections at the
ident Linda Wise mentioned on city ordinances.
On June 28, 2021, the City Whistle Stop RV park.
the graffiti, telling Jon Pat-
Demaris replied that fill-
terson she was sorry that it Council approved Patter-
son’s application.
ing up their water tanks, or
had happened.
Councilor Martin Leuen-
emptying their holding tanks,
“I can’t believe there’s peo-
berger abstained. Patterson
would be an option for guests.
ple in this town that would
said he has used Leuenberger’s
Ultimately the Council
lower themselves to that,”
services as an attorney, though agreed to charge Patterson
Wise said. “I really thought
people were better than that.” not for anything related to the $93 per month for water ser-
RV park or other properties
vice during the period when
In a phone interview on
Patterson owns in Sumpter.
the park is open, and $46.50
Tuesday, March 1, Sumpter
Patterson said the approval per month when it’s not. The
Mayor Greg Lucas also said he
was dismayed by the graffiti at for the Whistle Stop RV Park monthly sewer bill is $176.
is for up to 100 spaces, but he
“I can live with that,” Patter-
Whistle Stop RV Park.
is planning to open in May
son said. “I think you’re being
Lucas, who did not attend
with 50 sites.
fair now.”
the Feb. 22 meeting but said
During the Feb. 22 meet-
Patterson said in a phone
he watched a video of it, said
ing, councilors discussed with interview on Tuesday, March
“what took place at his RV
Patterson how much the city 1, that he remains upset about
park, the council condemns
what he considers harassment
that behavior. We adamantly should charge him for water
and sewer at his RV park.
by the City Council.
condemn that behavior. It’s
Briscoe contends that al-
He said he intends to run
pathetic, it disrupts his abil-
for Sumpter mayor this fall.
ity to do business, and it costs though the sites don’t have
water and sewer connections,
He is a member of Sumpt-
him money.”
campers are likely to want to er’s planning commission.
But Patterson isn’t con-
vinced that his disagree-
ments with the City
Council didn’t somehow
contribute to the graffiti.
During the public com-
ment period at the end
of the Feb. 22 meeting,
Patterson spoke directly
to councilors Marsha
Demaris and Charlie
Briscoe.
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