4
T he C olumbia P ress
September 29, 2017
Skipanon: Both sides of dam controversy are passionate
elected by those within the member. “There is no going
Skipanon district – said that back on that. … It’s impos-
sible for us to reverse
this and that was on pur- every property own-
er within the district
that process.”
pose.”
And that’s what has
Bergin used his impar- received newsletters
created a two-year
tial-outsider-finely-honed about the tide gate
impasse. Warrenton
-mediator persona to get removal, public hear-
has refused to grant a
both parties talking about ings were held and le-
permit for destruction
why they’re so passionate in gal notices about the
of the dam. The water
their arguments and he got public hearings were
Scheller
district cannot remove
them to agree that a more placed in the newspa-
it without one.
thorough study of the issues per; Warrenton lead-
ers chose not to attend.
“I’m not opposed to
would be a good thing.
“We are the deci-
removal of the struc-
The dam crosses the Ski-
ture so long as we have
panon River at Eight Street. sion-makers,” the wa-
a clear picture of what
A small gravel road runs ter control district’s
we face,” Mayor Henry
across the top, providing a Tessa James Scheller
Balensifer said. “We
single-lane emergency sec- told the group Tues-
have property that
ond access for the small day. “Our constituents
is being inundated. I
number of property owners knew what we were
Galen
don’t see how it’s un-
who live across the river. doing. Mayor (Jeff)
reasonable to ask for a
There is a large opening in Hazen was there cele-
study.”
the middle to allow water to brating with us when
the tide gates were re-
Water control board
flow through.
member Gail Galen
There used to be tide gates moved.”
Warrenton city com-
pointed out the small
controlling how much and
dam is of the same
when water could go through, missioners say they’ve
generation of dams as
but the district removed them received complaints
in 2002 after studies showed from property own- Balensifer the one in Oroville, Ca-
lif., that failed in heavy
water quality and salmon ers about flooding
since the gates were
storms in February.
runs would improve.
“There’s
around
The city contends the stud- removed. They want a
4,000 of them and
ies were specific to those two more thorough study
they’re all ready to
issues and didn’t consider of the Eighth Street
fail,” Galen said. “To
whether removing the tide dam’s impact on flood-
put thousands of dol-
gates would cause erosion on ing and they want the
properties adjacent to the Ski- tide gates back on so Ackley lars into the study of a
failing structure seems not
panon River. And city leaders those studies can be done.
The Skipanon district’s a prudent use of taxpayers’
worry flooding and erosion
have gotten worse in the city board says enough studies money.”
Later Tuesday, during the
have been done and
since the tide gates
they want the dam City Commission meeting,
were removed.
‘There is no removed.
engineers from the Army
In the past – and
according to one going back... “The reason we Corps of Engineers met to
document still on It’s impossi- wanted to get to- answer questions about the
the city’s website ble for us to gether now is so see dam and its history.
It is a good candidate for
something
– city leaders have
reverse that if we there’s
could do for these a flood-plain management
accused the dis-
people this year,” study, which is a grant-based
trict of altering the process.’
Bruce Francis Commissioner Pam service offered by the Corps,
structure without
permission or pub- Skipanon board Ackley said. “There’s said Shane Cline, the agen-
degradation to a levee cy’s levee safety manager.
lic input.
The dam itself could be
The district contends the now. Carl Burkhart, last year,
dam is unsafe, has outlived his garage was under water.” causing some erosion up-
“The problem is, the de- stream, Cline said, but it’s
its useful lifespan of 50 years
and is the cause of flooding commissioning of the struc- impossible to know without
along the banks of the Ski- ture was done at public meet- further study and those stud-
ings,” said Bruce Francis, ies could be done without the
panon.
Board members – who are another water control board tide gates.
Continued from Page 1