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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1963)
MEDFORD MAIL THIBUNE, MEDFOHD, OREGON SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 19H3 A 3 Divergence of Opinion Brought to Light at Hearing on Basin Drainage By EVA HAMILTON Mail Tribun Stiff Writer The approach to a drainage problem in Jackson county, even as the approach to any problem in demoncratic Amer ica, brings to light a diver gence of opinions. This became obvious early Thursday afternoon when a hearing on drainage problems in the Bear creek basin got under way at the courthouse. While one man wants all the channels on his property cleared of berry vines, wil lows and debris, another wants these masses of thorns and sticks to stay where they are as feeding grounds for song birds and blinds for duck hunters. One man sees only the tor rents of flood water threaten ing his home or business. His country neighbor sees erosion stealing away the soil he wants to farm. Jack Hofibuhr, manager of the Medford Irrigation dis trict, spoke for clearing the channels. He maintained that the major trouble in the Dec. 2 flood resulted from jammed channels. He criticized contractors for building too close to streams, explaining that it is impossi ble to remove debris and silt when there is so little clear ance around the banks. He asked that city and county planning commissions take a serious look at all subdivi sion plots to make sure that sufficient space is left for maintenance of the creek channels. Who has the authority to require private owners to maintain channels through their property?" Hoff b u h r asked. He urged the county to re quire an annual maintenance program on channels such as the irrigation districts carry on with their canals. He rec ommended a county wide levy to provide for this annual pro gram, stating that $150,000 a year would clean up most of the creeks that are causing trouble now. He admitted that the irri gation districts use streams as laterals in summer. He said the districts are not permitted to use funds for drainage ex cept to protect structures Agr With Spokesman Larry Silveira. manager of the. Eagle Point district: Wal ter Hoffbuhr, Talent; Harold Sexton, Rogue River Valley, agreed with the Medford dis trict spokesman that there is need for a county levy. The state highway depart ment, represented by Will Chandler, listed damage from the Dec. 2 flood at $160,000. Judson Dakin of the South ern Pacific railroad, Portland office, said his company ex perienced losses in the mil lions in flood damage. Attorney Frank Van Dyke discouraged the group in mov ing too fast, stating that he could understand some sec tions of the county objecting to a county-wide levy to cor rect a problem they consider limited to the Bear creek basin proper. He foresaw a need for legislation to make any program possible. A Mutual Problem Dave Hendrix, county wa ter master, described the problem as a mutual one in which everyone is involved in some way. He noted tne need for upstream storage to take the peak off the exces sive storms. Two Accidents Are Checked by Police Two non-injury vehicle accidents were investigated by Medford police Thursday. No citiations were issued, offic ers said. A city police car, parked at the rear of city hall, was damaged sllinuy when a vehicle operated by Francis Frederick Hibbard, 60, of 1302 Saling ave., backed into it about 10:40 a. m., according to reports. Vehicles operated by Eston Cordcll Mathewson, 16. of 302 Grape St., and Lee Roy Cox, 54. Grants Pass, collided about 6:17 p. m. at Eighth st. and Riverside ave., offic ers said. Clem Aull. of the Soil Con scrvation service, expressed doubt that cities, cuunty and irrigation districts could han dle the problem alone. He said much of the trouble could have been averted if the sug gested dam sites had been used. Robert Carstcnsen, Jackson county engineer, emphasized the number of agencies and individuals to be considered in solution of one drainage problem such as that of Crooked creek. Streams me ander through public and pri vate lands, he explained, and there are many legal hurdles to clear in planning drainage programs. Describe Problems City officials of Medford, Ashland, Jacksonville, Gold Hill, Phoenix, Central Point and Eagle Point described their problems. The common practice of many citizens dumping bottles, tires and other debris into streams was loudly condemned. In this same area, Col. Paul H. Weiland of the Izaak Wal ton League asked for more strict enforcement of the ex isting laws. He urged action to maintain watershed manage ment and condemned con struction which chokes any stream. The county has a re sponsibility in this area, he in sisted, as some bridge con struction has been at fault. City Manager Robert Duff of Medford said the city was sitting in the middle in the December flood and got "ev erybody's water." Hat No Authority The city, he explained, has no authority to go outside its boundaries to correct such a problem. He predicted that the people can't count on this problem arising only every 100 years. The county is be coming urbanized in a way to send water into channels with greater intensity, he added. Mayor Freeman Mason of Central Point said if Medford would take care of its prob lem, Central Point wouldn't have one. Mayor M. Stcinmelz of Gold Hill described his city as the real dumping ground in the drainage problem and com plained of the pollution which threatens -"the water supply from the river. Charley Hoover, who has farmed in Jackson county for many years, learning the idi osyncracies of many streams and drains, asked that the farmers be heard. He objected to the emphasis on channel clearance, saying a word for consideration of all elements in nature, the timber, the wild life, the brooks and the ponds. He objected to all the people being taxed for the Bear creek problem. Don Minear, Griffin Creek orchardist ana farmer, re minded that there is federal money available for stream clearance. He said some con crete aprons have been con structed at too high a level and that many channels do need to be deepened. Exaggerates Problem Louis Ward of Hilton rd. charged that logging roads and freeway construction had exaggerated a problem, pre venting the natural runoff of flood waters. A petition carrying the names of 26 persons wanting action was mentioned by County Judge Earl Miller, who presided at the hearing. Roy B. Sanderson and John Friday, Portland; and A. L. Harris, Medford, all with the U. S. Geological Survey, voiced their interest in con ducting a survey of the flood. 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