River users in Bend have created more than 80 undesignated trails along the banks, and they’re all damaging the shoreline.
Now, Bend Parks and Recreation is trying to improve some of the access points while restoring others.
Central Oregon Daily’s Brooke Snavely has the story.
A 70-year-old woman was rescued from the Deschutes River Sunday after she was thrown from her raft while navigating the Big Eddy rapids.
Bend Fire and Rescue responded to the swift water rescue incident just after 3 p.m. on Sunday. It was thrown from a raft operated by her son-in-law as they were descending through the Big Eddy rapids.
The woman was able to self rescue to river right on the lava flow side, and was uninjured. She was wearing a life jacket.
Bend Fire and Rescue with assistance from rafting companies Sun Country and Inn of the Seventh Mountain developed a plan to help bring the patient back across the river safely using the fire departments raft and personnel from each agency.
The cooperation and communication between the fire department and the commercial rafting companies was essential to the success of this rescue. Bend Fire and Rescue would like to thank them for their assistance and to the individual that paddled one of our personnel across the river above the rapids so we could access the patient.
Whitewater rafting can be dangerous, please make sure that if you are rafting the river to follow all the rules, scout the rapids before you go through them and always wear a life jacket.
You can see a lot of creatures in the Deschutes River during this time of year — fish, ducks and even a mermaid. Central Oregon Daily’s Anyssa Bohanen was lucky enough to catch up with Bend’s magical river princess.
At the tail end of winter, when that inversion layer is likely to lay down on the tops of the hills, some people go chukar hunting. In this week’s Great Outdoors, Gary Lewis takes us to the Deschutes River Canyon.
A special thanks to our Great Outdoors sponsor, Parr Lumber, for giving us the time and resources to explore the lakes, rivers and mountains across our beautiful state every Wednesday night on Central Oregon Daily.
Bill That Would Have Banned Any New Footbridge Across Deschutes River Will Not Be Considered
As the legislative session winds down in Salem on Saturday, it appears a bill that could have banned any new footbridges across the Deschutes River in the Bend area will not make it to a vote before the House and Senate.
On Friday, State Senate President Peter Courtney told Central Oregon Daily would not make it out of committee during this session.
For decades, the Bend Park and Recreation District has wanted to connect the Deschutes River Trail all the way from Tumalo to Sunriver, and a footbridge just south of Bend city limits could have been the final piece of that puzzle, but the proposal had fierce opponents and supporters on both sides of the issue.
The proposed bridge was part of a bond measure approved by Bend voters in 2012, and has been discussed since 2004, but the construction of the foot and bike bridge has been halted since it requires an exemption from the state.
A law passed in 1996 established that segment of the Deschutes River south of Bend as a scenic waterway and bans construction, like the bridge, in that area.
Last month, community leaders from Deachutes County traveled to Salem to testify before a committee about House BIll 4029 (which eventually became 4029A). Bend Park and Rec and Bend City Council reps opposed the bill, while groups like Coalition for the Deschutes and Oregon Wild were in favor of the bill.
With Friday’s developments in Salem, it looks like the battle over a proposed footbridge across the Deschutes River will not have a resolution anytime soon.
Residents and official from Bend testified in Salem on Thursday morning on House Bill 4029, which would forever ban a proposed bridge over the Deschutes River.
Members from Bend Parks and Rec, Bend City Council and community members all spoke against the bill during Thursday’s hearing.
Bend’s Mayor Pro Tem Sally Russell echoed concerns raised by the Bend Parks and Rec Department, saying the bill would “derail the local participation process,” and put a local decision in the hands of the state.
The proposed bridge has been hotly contested. Proponents believe connecting the Deschutes River Trail from Tumalo to Sunriver would provide necessary transportation and recreation benefits.
Opponents say it could disrupt the designated protected area along the south Deschutes and could lead to a slippery slope of lost protections for other scenic areas.
Some of those opponents also spoke on Thursday. Members from the Coalition for the Deschutes spoke in favor of the bill, saying there was a reason the state protected that stretch of waterway in the first place.
“This is not a local issue,” said Michael Eisele, of the Coalition for the Deschutes. “This is a wild and scenic river that serves all of Oregon citizens, all its visitors and the future generations and we benefit today from the foresight of those who put these rules in place, way before Bend Parks and Rec started planning their bridge.”
The bridge was part of a bond measure approved by Bend voters in 2012, and has been discussed since 2004, but the construction of the foot and bike bridge has been halted since it requires an exemption from the state.
A law passed in 1996 established that segment of the Deschutes River south of Bend as a scenic waterway and bans construction, like the bridge, in that area.
On Friday it will be decided wether or not the bill will move forward.
The Bend Parks and Rec Board Will Oppose a Bill that Prohibits a Deschutes River Bridge
At a meeting of the Bend Park & Recreation District Board on Tuesday night, members made it clear that they will try to stop the passage of House Bill 4029, which would effectively ban any future footbridges across the Deschutes River.
The board felt that the bill would shut down any conversation within the community about the potential recreation and transportation benefits a bridge connecting the Deschutes River Trail could bring.
“Our concern is, and what we’ve been saying all along, is we need a very broad community discussion,” said board member Ted Schoenborn. “This legislation effectively shuts down any conversation in the community.”
Schoenborn will head to Salem on Thursday to testify against House Bill 4029, and the board hopes to potentially bring together the community, Parks and Rec board, State Parks, Forest Service, recreation organizations and conservation organizations to continue discussions about the bridge.
The proposed bridge, which was approved by Bend voters as part of a bond measure in 2012, would cross the Deschutes River near Bend’s southern boundary and would effectively connect the Deschutes River Trail all the way from Tumalo to Sunriver.
The Deschutes River is undeniably the crown jewel of Bend, bringing visitors and new residents to our city because of the recreational and fishing opportunities it provides. For this week’s Great Outdoors, Brian Jennings introduces us to the army of volunteers who protect that jewel and keep it clean and shiny for the rest of us.
Tune in every Wednesday night for another new edition of The Great Outdoors where we explore the lakes, rivers and mountains across our beautiful state on Central Oregon Daily.
While some had to work outdoors today, others got to play in the sunshine. Central Oregon Daily’s Allison Roecker headed to the river to see how people were beating the heat, by getting in the water.
It’s a political battle that’s had as many twists and turns as the river that is at the center of the debate. Last month, it looked like a proposed bridge across the Deschutes River was dead in the water after a bill was passed in the House to reinforce a rule that prohibited any bridge from being built. But in the past week, an amendment to that bill was proposed to a Senate committee, and they approved it on Thursday, reopening the ongoing debate over the proposed footbridge.
