BAKER CITY HERALD • TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2022 A3
LOCAL & STATE
Pendleton not yet under threat
as rains fill McKay Reservoir
said the flow from the reser-
voir has a ways to go before it
PENDLETON — Days
poses a flooding danger.
of rain have pushed McKay
“Where we start getting into
Reservoir near Pendleton to
trouble is 800 cfs,” he said, and
90% of its capacity, and lo-
as the situation stands now, he
cal officials are keeping an
said, the level of water in the
eye on the situation and what creek is not a major concern.
it means for residents along
“It’s something we’re going to
McKay Creek.
have to watch and evaluate ev-
Throughout most of Thurs- ery day,” he said.
day, May 5, the reservoir
Low pressure systems over
about 6 miles south of Pend- the area are going to bring rain
leton was 90% full and ap-
off and on this week, Vescio
proaching 65,600 acre feet,
said, and that means contin-
according to online hydro-
ued monitoring of McKay
logic monitoring data from
Reservoir and its release.
the U.S. Bureau of Reclama-
McKay Creek flooded
in 2019, damaging homes
tion, which operates McKay
Dam. The bureau is releasing and public property in the
about 560 cubic feet of water McKay Addition of Pendleton.
per second from the reservoir Then in 2020, the Umatilla
River flooded, causing even
into McKay Creek.
The bureau ramped up the more damage.
Pendleton City Manager
release May 3, going from
about zero to around 470 cfs, Robb Corbett said locals want
and May 4 increasing the re- to know more about what
is happening with the reser-
lease to around 560 cfs.
voir and creek and there is “a
The city of Pendleton on
heightened sense of concern be-
May 5 released a statement
cause of everything we’ve been
that said while the bureau
raised McKay Creek levels as though the last few years.”
After the 2019 flood the city
the reservoir fills, there was
obtained a permit to remove
no need for alarm.
“At this time, BOR does not sediment and debris from the
creek to increase its capacity
predict the need to increase
and try to avoid flooding, and
flow from the reservoir,” ac-
conducted that work in the
cording to the city.
Meteorologist Mike Vescio springs of 2020 and 2021. Cor-
BY PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
bett said the permit allowed the
city to remove just more than
8,000 cubic yards of material
from McKay Creek.
“To put that into context,” he
said, “a large dump truck is 10
(cubic) yards.”
The city has not worked
on the creek this spring, but
Corbett said there are plans to
continue to improve the creek.
He said the city is working
with the local soil, water and
conservation district to get ap-
proval and funding to “armor”
the bank and restore the creek’s
capacity from the dam to its
confluence with the Umatilla
River about 7 miles away.
The flood exposed the
banks, Corbett explained, and
high water events means more
erosion and thus more sedi-
ment filling the creek and de-
creasing its capacity.
“So we want to armor those
banks to stop that erosion,”
Corbett said.
McKay Creek is choked with
gravel and sediment, he said,
and the city wants to restore
the creek’s capacity to what it
was before the flood.
To that end, Corbett said,
the city is applying for a $2.5
million grant from the Fed-
eral Emergency Management
Agency that would fund the
engineering work to get an
estimate of what the project
would look like. He said the
city expects to hear back on the
grant in the next six months.
Mark Mulvilhill lives near
the creek in Pendleton and
serves on the Lower McKay
Creek Water Control District.
He also was instrumental af-
ter the 2019 flood in forming a
task force to take on improving
the creek. He said that’s a chal-
lenge because of all the stake-
holders involved.
The reservoir’s primary pur-
pose when it was built in 1927
was to provide water to Stan-
field and Westland irrigation
districts. But the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation also want water
for their First Foods, Mulvil-
hill said, and homeowners
all along the creek want to be
safe from high water. On top
of this is the layer of federal
bureaucracy for any work in
the creek.
Mulvilhill said he appreci-
ates the positions of all the par-
ties, but to move forward they
need a modern, solid compre-
hensive basin study the whole
length of McKay Creek.
“That basin study will be
the linchpin in moving use
forward,” he said. “We have to
have accurate data from people
who are experts in this.”
Wallowa County rancher kills
wolf after attacks on cattle
responsible for “chronic dep-
redation,” or a minimum of
ENTERPRISE — A Wallowa two confirmed deaths within a
County rancher on Tuesday,
nine-month period.
May 3, shot and killed a wolf
The death of the canid comes
from a pack believed to be re-
just weeks after the state’s an-
sponsible for multiple attacks
nual wolf report showed ane-
on livestock in the region, state mic growth in Oregon’s wolf
wildlife officials said.
population in 2021. The tally
The rancher had been
represents a minimum number
granted a permit to kill up to
of wolves in the state, counting
two wolves from the Chesnim- only the animals that can be
nus Pack, which the Oregon
verified by direct observation,
Department of Fish & Wildlife trail cameras or physical evi-
determined was responsible for dence like tracks.
at least four attacks on cattle be-
The report also highlighted
tween April 25 and 30.
a sharp rise in wolf deaths, 26
Under the state’s wolf reg-
in 2021, up from 10 the previ-
ulations, wolves can be killed
ous year. Of the 26, the cause
after they are determined to be of death was unclear for four of
the animals, one was killed by
other wolves and another died
of what are believed to be natu-
ral causes.
The rest of the deaths, 21,
were caused by humans. The
Department of Fish & Wildlife
killed eight wolves associated
with the Lookout Mountain
Pack, including two pups, after
repeated attacks on livestock in
Baker County.
Especially troubling to state
biologists and wolf advocates
was the alarming number of
poaching incidents.
At least eight wolves, includ-
ing the entirety of the Cath-
erine Pack, were poisoned in
Union County. That case re-
mains open, and a $50,000 re-
ward has been offered for infor-
mation that leads to an arrest.
In February of this year, a
wolf was illegally shot in Union
County, according to Oregon
State Police, and another was
illegally killed in Baker County
in March, though officials did
not specify how the wolf was
killed.
Rewards of $22,000 and
$11,500 were offered in those
cases, respectively.
The kill permit granted to
the rancher who killed the
Chesnimnus Pack wolf earlier
this week allows for one more
wolf to be killed before it ex-
pires May 24.
Wolves
Both calves survived and are
healing.
One calf was about three
weeks old, weighing 75
pounds, and the other was
about eight weeks old and
weighed about 100 pounds.
Biologists examined inju-
ries to both calves that they
estimated had happened
about two weeks earlier.
Biologists shaved portions
of the calves’ hides. One calf
had bite scrapes up to an inch
and a half long on the inside
and outside back of its left
rear leg, with tooth punctures
measuring up to 3/16th inch
wide. The other calf had bite
scrapes up to an inch long on
the outside of the right rear
leg, and an infected wound,
with multiple bite punctures,
on the left rear hock.
The wounds were consis-
tent with wolf attacks on live
calves, according to ODFW.
The agency is also investi-
gating a report of another pos-
sible wolf attack reported on
Saturday, May 7, at a property
on Skinner Road at the north-
east part of Keating Valley.
A calf was injured in that
area about two weeks ago, but
the animal survived.
A separate wolf pack, the
Keating pack, uses that area,
according to ODFW.
cial Olympics USA Games by
finishing first in a race before
the pandemic.
Then each state chooses its
representatives for the USA
Games.
Moe, who has coached ath-
letes from Oregon, but not
from Baker County, in the
USA Games, said she is excited
for Calaway to have a memora-
ble experience in Florida.
“I was blessed and picked to
coach two years, two times to
go to USA Games, so I know
firsthand how much they
learn, how much they get to
see,” Moe said.
Calaway is raising money for
the Special Olympics. Those
who wish to donate to help can
do so at support.soor.org/Cait-
lyn-Calaway.
Checks can also be made
payable to “Special Olympics
Oregon” with “Team Oregon:
Caitlyn Calaway” in the memo
line and sent to: Special Olym-
pics Oregon, 8313 SW Cirrus
Drive, Beaverton, OR 97008.
In Baker County, Special
Olympics athletes compete
in track and field and winter
sports as well as swimming,
Moe said.
BY KALE WILLIAMS
The Oregonian
Continued from Page A1
“The location and depth
of trauma is consistent with
wolf attack injuries on calves
this size,” according to the
report.
In the second incident, a
rancher found two injured
calves while working cattle
gathered on a private pasture.
Swimmer
Continued from Page A1
Calaway, who turns 23 this
year, has been competing in
Special Olympics since she was
in junior high.
She will leave for Florida in
a few weeks and compete in
three swimming events.
Bybee said her daughter has
been swimming for about 10
years.
“It’s going to be a very excit-
ing event for her,” Bybee said.
“She’ll be gone quite a while.”
Calaway’s coach, Paula Moe,
who is the aquatics director for
the Baker County YMCA, said
Calaway qualified for the Spe-
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Snowpack
Continued from Page A1
But the storms of April had
a profound effect.
At High Ridge, for in-
stance, in the northern Blue
Mountains near Tollgate, the
water content at the start of
April was 17.8 inches — 74%
of average.
By month’s end the wa-
ter content had risen to 21.6
inches. More notably, that
figure was 177% of average.
A similar trend prevailed at
some other sites:
• Moss Springs above Cove
— 76% of average at the start
of April, 117% at the end.
• Bald Mountain, near
Moss Springs — 59% to
109%.
• Mount Howard, near
Wallowa Lake — 84% to
106%.
• Aneroid Lake, Eagle Cap
Wilderness south of Wallowa
Lake — 61% to 74%.
Jason Yencopal, Baker
County emergency man-
agement director who also
does snow surveys, plod-
ded through the drifts to a
meadow just east of Anthony
Lake on the first day of May.
Rachel
Continued from Page A1
Participants in the classes
can earn “Baby Bucks” that
they can redeem for baby fur-
niture and other items from
the store at the Center, as well
as gift cards for gas, groceries
and car seats from the Baker
City Police Department.
Online classes are offered
as well.
The Rachel Center has
added a post-abortion recov-
ery Bible study class, “Surren-
dering the Secret,” to its cur-
riculum.
The Center offers these
free, confidential services:
• Pregnancy tests
• Referral for free ultra-
sound
• Pregnancy options coun-
seling
• Maternity clothes
• Encouragement and sup-
port
• Baby clothes up to size 3
• Baby furniture and other
items
• Diapers and formula
• Referrals to other sources
WE INSTALL
YEAR-ROUND!
Linda Dumas passed away
Feb. 9, 2022, at Legacy Salmon
Creek Medical Center in Salmon
Creek, WA. She is survived by her
husband of 26 years, David Dumas,
her mother and father, Donna and
Gerald Goodwin, and her sisters,
Marie Guy and Gail Feldman and
their families. She didn’t have
children of her own but had seven
grandchildren through David.
Linda loved growing up in Baker City and after
graduating high school went on to college in La Grande
and nursing school in Pendleton. She received her
nursing accreditation and after working in a doctors
office went to Portland and started a career in a local
hospital. She worked at various hospitals in the area till
her PKD prevented her from continuing to work. Linda
was a very giving individual and was very sweet to
everyone.
If you want to honor her, please give to the animal
rescue of your choice. She loved our cats and dogs as
though they were her children. She will surely be missed
by many that have known her even for a short time.
A celebration of her life is being observed June 5,
2022 at the Churchill School in Baker City at 1 p.m. If
you are attending, please RSVP to dhdumas@hotmail.
com or 360-600-9077 so we are properly prepared.
Linda’s ashes will be spread.
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of help
Volunteer positions avail-
able at the Rachel Center
include office assistant, cli-
ent advocate/peer counselor,
clothing assistant, teacher,
church liaison and fundraiser.
Grove shared a comment
from a young teen who took
prenatal and infant care
classes at the Rachel Center:
“I love how nice, understand-
ing people are. They always
offer help or advice. There
is no judgment and they all
just want to help out. Being
a first-time mom is scary
enough but this place helps
with pretty much all the pre-
paring and makes things less
scary.”
The Rachel Center is led
by a board of directors: Pa-
tricia Hoelscher, Cathy Blan-
kenship, Jessie Whitford, Jen
Cikanek and Grove.
More information is avail-
able by visiting the office or
calling 541-523-5357 during
business hours. Grove can
also be reached by email at
rpc.director1@gmail.com.
The Center’s website is www.
bakerpregnancyhelp.org.
July 28, 1961 – February 9, 2022
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He measured 64 inches of
snow — up from 49 inches at
the end of March.
The water content rose
during April from 19.5 inches
— 61% of average — to 25.5
inches, 91% of average.
One damp month can’t
end the region’s drought, to
be sure.
As of May 3, all of North-
eastern Oregon was in either
moderate, severe or extreme
drought, according to the
U.S. Drought Monitor.
(The monitor uses a five-
level rating system — abnor-
mally dry, and four categories
of drought, moderate, severe,
extreme and exceptional.)
Most of Baker County re-
mains in extreme drought,
with a small part on the
western side, and much of
the Panhandle, in severe
drought.
Phillips Reservoir in
Sumpter Valley, which sup-
plies irrigation water for
more than 30,000 acres in
Baker Valley, is holding just
12% of its capacity.
Thief Valley Reservoir,
near North Powder, is full,
and Unity Reservoir in
southern Baker County is
92% full.
Linda Goodwin Dumas
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Fresh snow mantled the trees around the Anthony Lake Guard Sta-
tion, on the north shore of Anthony Lake, on Sunday, May 8, 2022.
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