NEWS
A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019
New lasers installed at McNary Dam to deter birds
By JESSICA POLLARD
STAFF WRITER
Birds trying to feast
on juvenile salmon at the
McNary Dam are facing
a new deterrent — bright
green lasers.
In the past, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers Walla
Walla District relied on a
sprinkler system for bird
abatement. Sprinklers would
spray water near the juvenile
bypass outfall pipe, but some
waterfowl weren’t deterred
away from snacking on the
young salmon. Last spring,
the system was wiped out
by high waters on the river,
so the district invested in its
fi rst laser instead.
“The laser is still con-
sidered a trial effort,” said
USACE Biologist Christo-
pher Peery. “Initial obser-
vations appear promising,
but it is probably not going
to be the solution to all our
salmon predation worries.”
The laser has a range of
around 950 feet to a mile,
weather depending. Its beam
moves in random patterns,
Photo courtesy of the US Army Corps of Engineers
The Walla Walla District used to rely on a sprinkler system to
scare birds away, but it was damaged by high waters along
the river last spring.
and is meant to trick birds
into believing a solid object
is chasing them. It fended off
birds well enough through
spring and summer, but was
installed in an inconvenient
location. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers bought
the second laser in Septem-
ber, which will be mounted
onto the outfall pipe this
spring.
The cost of both lasers,
along with solar panels and
mounting hardware, came
to a total of about $22,200,
according to USACE biolo-
gist Tim Wik.
“The exact predation
rate for juvenile salmon
at McNary Dam can vary,
but it is obvious that birds
are actively feeding in the
river near the dam at vari-
ous times of the year,” Peery
said.
He said millions of juve-
nile salmon are eaten along
the lower Columbia River
each year.
Director of Blue Moun-
tain Wildlife Rehabilita-
tion and Education Lynn
Tompkins said the birds eat-
ing juvenile salmon near
McNary Dam likely include
gulls,
cormorants
and
waterfowl.
“The dam slows all the
fi sh down, and they use the
fi sh ladder. It’s like having a
bird feeder in our backyard,”
she said. “They ought to hire
a falconer.”
And while the Walla
Walla District doesn’t appear
to be hiring a bird of prey
to scare the salmon-eating
birds away anytime soon,
it might purchase a Long
Range Acoustic Device that
would emit distress calls
from predatory birds and
accompany the lasers. This
too, would be installed in the
spring or summer.
The Walla Walla District
and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture have an agree-
ment which dictates that
each spring, the USDA’s
Wildlife Services group
comes and hazes the hungry
birds.
The hazing includes set-
ting off fi reworks and shot-
gun blanks, as well as using
boats to scare away linger-
ing birds, and will continue
this spring.
Studies suggest that bird
abatement lasers might
harm a bird’s eyes. In 2016,
the University of Washing-
ton conducted a study on the
effectiveness of lasers as bird
abatement against seagulls
at fi sheries which stated that
not much was known about
how lasers might affect the
retinas of gulls.
In 2018, a researcher
from Purdue University told
NPR he was conducting a
study about whether lasers
could harm an animal’s reti-
nas, which could affect their
ability to mate, hunt and
seek shelter.
“The manufacturer indi-
cates that it is possible that a
laser can injure a bird’s eye if
it directly strikes the retina,
this is why the lasers will not
directly target birds, instead
they will move through the
area we would like to keep
the birds from,” Peery said.
He added the laser targets
move slowly to allow birds
time to avoid being in close
contact with the light.
In April, according to the
district, the lasers will be
evaluated.
“Project biologists will
count the number of birds
that are in the area near the
juvenile fi sh outfall, and the
number of those birds that
appear to be actively feed-
ing,” Peery said.
If the lasers are effec-
tive at warding off birds
this spring, the Walla Walla
District will consider add-
ing them to other area dams,
according to a press release
from the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers.
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Call Kal for more info (541) 969-
7358
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541-276-0931
$395,000 NEW LISTING Time
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541-276-0931
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4 bed, 2 bath, 2572sf(m/l) on
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#19593858
All new flooring and paint on
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305 SW Court Ave Pendleton
New Listing…
$399,999 – 3 Bedroom 2
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360 Degree View. Spacious
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MLS# 19681400
Rocky Mikesell
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VIEW LOTS – Tutuilla Heights
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RMLS#18381851
Pendleton Property 3 br 2 bath
manufactured home on a big
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360 Garage Sales
LARGE ESTATE TAG SALE
FOR LILLIAN L. SMITH
DECEMBER 14TH AND 15TH
FROM 9:00 AM TILL 4:00 PM
BOTH DAYS; AT 1255 SW
16TH PLACE, IN HERMISTON,
OREGON.
LOTS OF OLD AND NEWER
COLLECTABLES AND MANY
UNUSED ITEMS; Bottles, lots
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jewelry of all kinds, silver
platters, dishes & mugs etc.,
knick-knacks, formal china sets,
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more.
INDOORS AND COVERED
CARPORT SETUP, STREET
PARKING; CASH AND PER-
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GARAGE SALE?
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$239,999- RMLS #18081947
New Listing 4 b/r 1 3/4 bath
North Hill. Freshly painted,
beautiful hardwood floors just
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Call Shane for more info (541)
379-7802.
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Your new home is waiting for
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Call 541 377 6855 to tour today
# 19644354...$160 000-- 4 Bed
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TURN HERE REALTY &
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305 SW Court Ave Pendleton
Never a better time to sell
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Garton & Associates
$249,500
Sunridge. 1level, 3bed, 2bath,
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8243cell. #19156270.
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541-276-0021
$255,000 – 2018 Fleetwood
MFG Home on 2.51 Acres. 4
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$119,000 – 2 Bedroom 1 Bath
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MLS# 19024843
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$295,000 - 4 Bedroom 3
Bath Tri Level. Very nice
throughout. Large fenced yard.
Updated kitchen. Large deck
and nice city view. Close to
shopping. MLS# 19655891
Rocky Mikesell
Blue Jeans Realty
“Our office is wherever you
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$229,900
Newly remodeled! New roof,
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New kitchen, stainless
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#19280412
Coldwell Banker Whitney &
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541-276-0021
Coldwell Banker Whitney &
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541-276-0021
$595,000
Prime residential develop-
ment land w/sweeping views
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tiple access points. Property
contains six tax lots totaling
55.95 acres(m/l). Jef 541-969-
9539cell. #19264696
Coldwell Banker Whitney &
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541-276-0021
$299,900
View! 4bed, 2.5bath, w/office
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Near park, medical facilities,
RAC. Vicki 541-969-9441cell.
#19082889
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305 SW Court Ave Pendleton
$265,000 – 3 Bedroom 2
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car Garage. RV parking. MLS#
19351147
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“Our office is wherever you
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$330,000
2
STORY
BUNGALOW
w/5,000sf(m/l).
Hardwood
floors, amazing kitchen, quartz
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760-409-6842cell. #19346733
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Spectacular views, large land-
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Oversized garage w/
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5152 cell. #19350748
Coldwell Banker Whitney &
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