bowerboater

The big question will be whether younger buyers will want the ball and chain of forced automobile dependence and life spent commuting associated suburban living, and whether we can continue to afford to maintain the aging infrastructure which services it.

Thanks for a great series of updates Eric! These are all fantastic priorities. Baby steps towards a better Bend

Well written! Thanks for an informative article.

Steve Edwards "conspicuously" incoherent letter is an indication that he is perhaps one of many Bend drivers who doesn't know that Oregon law requires motorists to STOP for pedestrians attempting to cross from corner to corner on city streets (regardless of whether the crosswalk is marked or not). One has to wonder if he is also among the many Bend drivers who don't know why car manufacturers are required to put turn signals in their vehicles?

It's surprising how literally some people are taking the vision renderings, which are something of a first draft! The concept has real potential and is the first proposal which gives both " sides" of the debate something of a win/win.
Now more than ever those who want to express concerns or insights have the opportunity to weigh in and to shape the conversation & help find creative solutions to the challenges ahead.
To all of the passionate "save the river people" who may feel angry and dis-affected right now; there are so many places where we can make a much bigger difference for overall river health than one river mile in an urban environment. Please get involved with the Deschutes River Conservancy, Upper Deschutes Watershed Council or Trout Unlimited in their effort to restore a more normalized year round flow to the Deschutes River. More than anything else, restoring flow as well as access for fish(which this plan addresses as a key goal) will bring the greatest benefit to the entire river system.
The sort of character of Mirror and Mill "pond"s, while artificial, as macro pools separated by cascading drops is actually completely consistent with other reaches along the upper Deschutes. What is out of character are the 4 major dam impediments to migration which native redband trout so desperately need. I for one am proud to see the first of these four dams being retrofitted with recreational and fish passage, and applaud the hard work and fundraising effort of the DRC to create fish passage at the North Unit dam. Why not look at BOTH of the two remaining dams if we are going to develop a real "vision" for the transformation of the urban reaches of the Deschutes River?
The council and Bend Parks and Rec, with input from the community, now have the opportunity to shape the urban river environment of Bend for the next century. It should be viewed by elected officials as a responsibility not to be taken lightly. Hopefully known best practices of riparian restoration and hydraulic engineering will be put used to inform the detailing of the plan as if continues to evolve from this first draft. It may be possible to mitigate the silt accumulation in the "Pond" if the surface water elevation can be changed seasonally, this should be part of further study of the management of Mirror Pond and could potentially save tax payers millions in future dredging needs if implemented and managed correctly.

Juniper and Gin is opening the show at 5pm, followed by Grit and Grizzle, The Student Loan Stringband who is touring behind their 4th album release "Moonlight Toasters" headlines the event starting at 7pm.

To "not a recro-youper"; Your assertions and hyperbole do not jive with the plans that the hydrology consultants from River Restoration have prepared, which look to create an overall ecological enhancement within the project reach. While there WILL be concrete used in the rebuild of portions of the dam itself, to facilitate control of the surface water elevation of the Mill Pond(maybe if they had used concrete during the last complete re-build it wouldn't have shifted and needed the nasty rebar mess which now re-enforces it?), the islands which define the 3 channels including the whitewater/surf channel, will be almost entirely composed of stacked indigenous rock.
This will create lots of pockets and structure, which is good for the aquatic plants and insects which form the basis of the web of life, while the recreational features themselves will likely increase oxygenation, a benefit to water quality in general. Deep water holds and strong eddy circulations in the whitewater/surf channel will also more closely mimic natural river hydrology than the extremely shallow and broadly graded slope which exists there today, providing habitat for mature fish.

Do remember why it is so shallow and broad below the spillway? Have you ever wondered where the rocks at the Historical Society came from? or what the Colorado Ave. area looked like before the dams?
I believe that Public investment should do good for the broadest spectrum of residents(and visitors, who are a large part of Bend's economic vitality). Putting a little bit of "River" back in between "Pond"s seems like a wise use of resources to me. I hope that "recros" enjoying the surf waves, tubers safely floating the safe passage channel, and the fish who will call that area home can all agree.