In a report published by the Source Weekly in October 2016, the City's utility director refuted the claim that the street outfalls were the sole source of sediment buildup. "If it's in a canoe or sitting on the banks with your feet in the water feeding the ducks-whatever venue you want to use the pond, it's been there for people."ĭuring that meeting, members of MPS contended that numerous stormwater drains, owned by the City of Bend, flowing into the river at or near the pond, are the primary contributors to the silt buildup they say now necessitates dredging. "We feel it's been an iconic piece of property in Central Oregon for many years, and it's served all different walks of life," states Todd Taylor, co-owner of Mirror Pond Solutions. A sense of history drives MPS to move this costly project forward. Army Corps of Engineers, the Oregon Department of State Lands and others. Members of Mirror Pond Solutions sat down with a member of our editorial board in May, just after securing permits for dredging from the U.S. Thus far, MPS has secured about $300,000 to go toward dredging, currently projected to cost about $6.7 million. The only issue is, that group doesn't feel compelled to pay the entire cost of the dredging and wants the City of Bend and the Bend Park and Recreation District-and possibly Pacific Power-to contribute. Mirror Pond Solutions, which owns the land underneath the pond, has been steadily moving forward with the dredging option.
Following Pacific Power's 2016 decision not to sell Newport Dam, we're left with only the last two options. Until 2016, there were three options on the table for the impoundment south of the Newport Dam: remove the dam and let the river flow free, dredge the silt out or do nothing. When there are varying opinions about a matter that has the potential to affect public budgets, the public should have every opportunity to gather information. Wherever you land on the issue of dredging Mirror Pond, some things are certain: Many people have strong opinions about dredging the pond-and those opinions vary widely.
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