McKenzie River Reflections Thursday, April 29, 2021 Serving the McKenzie River Valley ... And Subscriber Wade Scofield of Vida Volume 43, Issue 37 00 Sheriff’s Reports Home Country $1When to water? A caller reported that Only a man dedicated to Homeowners can learn to a neighbor threatened to a life of using dry flies can save water and money shoot his spouse appreciate PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 5 Butter Braids and Bingo Run to Over $450,000 help fund “Come Back” campaign granted to county Vida McKenzie Community Center kicks off efforts Six-way split benefits McKenzie area The Vida McKenzie Communi- since COVID restrictions and the Bridge, people should park their “This is going to be directly in- The Lane County Sheriff’s Of- ty Center is putting its fundraising devastating fire that destroyed the vehicles, turn in their Bingo cards fused into the community on the fice and Lane County Animal efforts in high gear by inviting lo- center’s building on Thomson and join a free buffet luncheon fire department’s behalf,” said Services also received funding to cals and “not so locals” to support Lane, Bingo has been out of the and no-host bar. Upper McKenzie Fire Chief Rain- help replace funds used for over- the VMCC’s efforts to rebuild af- question. Instead backers are now “The person with the card clos- bow Plews. She was commenting time or other expenses in wildfire ter the Holiday Farm Fire. organizing a Bingo Run to help est to a true ‘Bingo,’ will win the after accepting a $150,000 check response last fall, $52,000 and From now until May 1st, people raise funds for the reconstruction. Grand Prize (a float on the river)” to help rebuild after the Holiday $48,600 respectively, making a can order Butter Braids for $14. To be part of it, people can sign organizers say, “and celebrate Farm Fire. “We are going to be total of $450,850 granted to Lane What does the money buy? Ac- up in-person or on-line and play with old and new friends, know- looking at a long-term recovery County agencies cording to organizers Gerry As- as many Bingo cards as they wish. ing that nearly every dollar spent effort starting with land acquisi- “Working with Senator Prozan- ter, Walt Wilson, Tammy Pelton, Participants can drive or pedal to on the “Run” benefits the Vida tion in Blue River to start a new ski and the Legislature to make Sherry Jones, Kim Esser or Kelly Patsy’s Stage Stop Café in Cedar McKenzie Community Center station,” Plews added. “We lost this funding available is an impor- Gustafson you’ll receive a frozen Flat on July 10th. Volunteers will ‘Come Back” Campaign.’” everything there and this is going tant part of how we are helping to pastry to rise at home, then bake be handing out two Bingo num- Not a Bingo fan? Here is a third to go directly to that effort.” support the McKenzie commu- and feed up to twenty people. The bers to get the game started (and option: Buy your own square foot The money was part of what nity,” said Commissioner Heather patries come in various flavors suggesting it might be smart to of the new building for $250. To Lane County agencies received Buch. “Our first responders lost and can last in a freezer for up pick up a snack for the road trip). date, VMCC supporters have via House Bill 5042. equipment, infrastructure and had to six months. For each sale, the From there, the Bingo Run will bought six square feet. People “I’m pleased that the state overtime expenses and this mon- Center will retain $6. continue upriver to McKenzie can mail their check to VMCC, stepped up to meet Lane County’s ey will help ensure that they can The Vida McKenzie Commu- Bridge, stopping along the way P.O. Box 163, Vida, OR, 97488 or initial request for fire relief fund- continue to serve their residents, nity Center had been known for at different establishments to pick go to www.vidacommunitycenter. ing,” said Oregon Senator Floyd as well as support the recovery ef- its Second Saturday Bingo for up more Bingo numbers. com to learn about other ways to Prozanski. “My office continues forts being undertaken by EWEB the last several years. However, After reaching McKenzie help. to work diligently with legislative and the Chamber.” budget-writers to secure addition- The Lane County Sheriff’s Of- al funding to assist fire-impacted fice and Lane County Animal communities as they recover.” Services also received funding to Late Spring runoff causing Other entities that received help replace funds used for over- grants included the Eugene Water time or other expenses in wildfire & Electric Board ($150,000), the response last fall, $52,000 and concerns for fish migrations McKenzie River Chamber of Com- $48,600 respectively, making a merce ($35,000), and McKenzie total of $450,850 granted to Lane Salmon and steelhead encounter very low waters Fire & Rescue ($15,250). County agencies. With juvenile chinook and Power’s Hells Canyon Complex sockeye to peak the first week of sockeye salmon, as well as ju- of dams) have water supplies that May and supports the proposal for venile steelhead, beginning their are 75 to 85 percent of average.” increasing mid-Columbia flows. migration from the Northwest Idaho Power’s Brownlee Reser- Still there is uncertainty when tributaries and hatcheries, but voir is low and is in the process of and how much flow will be added with very low water in the river refilling. Since the power compa- over the next few weeks from a due to a late spring runoff, salmon ny is not a part of the federal hy- later spring runoff from tributaries managers have asked for augmen- droelectric system, there is some downstream of Chief Joseph Dam. tation flows. uncertainty whether it would pass There is a discrepancy of where The managers asked hydro op- water from the upper BOR dams people think the water will come erators at the April 21st, interagen- as it is refilling its own reservoir, from, suggesting that if tributaries cy Technical Management Team Ebel said. downstream of Chief Joseph add meeting to raise flows from Chief “Considering the low water water, perhaps Joseph shouldn’t Joseph Dam, just downstream of forecasts, wouldn’t it be valuable be the control point. Surely smiling behind their masks while holding the $150,000 grant check Grand Coulee, to 90,000 cubic to save mid-Columbia water for “If you want to control how for the Upper McKenzie Rural Fire District were (from left) Melanie Brite, feet per second beginning Mon- the long term?” he asked. much augmentation water you use County Emergency Program Manager Patence Winningham, Fire Chief day, April 26th, through Saturday, Part of the issue is that cool from Coulee, you need the control Rainbow Plews, East Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch, and State May 2nd, to ensure the speedy out- spring temperatures have delayed point to be Coulee,” said Tony Senator Floyd Prozanski migration for the smolts. the normal runoff, but that could Norris of the Bonneville Power Jonathan Ebel of the Idaho be changing with showers over Administration. “There would be Department of Fish and Wildlife the region last weekend and more low certainty of getting the flows called on TMT to look at a bigger melt should occur by mid-May needed if we move the control Track is back picture of fish passage – both ju- that could increase river flows point to Priest Rapids Dam, which McKenzie athletes return to competition venile and later adults – not only to a more natural level, Fenolio is a Grant County PUD-owned in the mid-Columbia, but also said. dam and not a federally-controlled in the Snake River basin where The reality is that, according one.” conditions are extremely dry and to the Northwest River Forecast Low flows in the Columbia and water could be in short supply as Center’s 120 day forecast out to Snake rivers are also impacting summer approaches. August, much of Western Mon- spring spill. The U.S. Army Corps The bottom line is that Snake tana, Idaho and Eastern Wash- of Engineers in a news release River projects may not provide as ington and Oregon streamflows said that cooler temperatures have much augmentation water as ex- are expected to be at 75 to 90 slowed runoff, leaving river levels pected. percent of average, and many of too low to reach the high flexible “Everything is really dried up the streams in southeastern Idaho spill levels required by the 2020 MRCS this year,” said the Bureau of could be as low as 25 to 50 per- Columbia/Snake river biological Reclamation’s Joel Fenolio. “At cent of average. opinion. The McKenzie Eagles travelled to North Lake High School in Central least three sub-basins in the upper NOAA’s Claire McGrath ex- The Corps said that spill for ju- Oregon’s for their first meet on April 23rd. Next on the agenda is a trip to Snake River (upstream of Idaho pects passage of wild chinook and Late Spring runoff - Page 2 Sisters High School on Friday, April 30th. See Sports Report on Page 2. Page 2 McKenzie River Reflections Thursday, April 29, 2021 Letters to the Editor Local Stars and wife team of Alice Bonasio The recent Earth Day Celebra- and Tom Atkinson to create the tion in Blue River was a huge prize winning video for us.