BEND, OR -- Bend Park and Recreation and Upper Deschutes Watershed Council are ready to begin a construction and river restoration project. Ian Isaacson, Landscape Architect for Bend Park and Recreation says the project takes place between the Bill Healy Bridge and downstream to the Farewell Bend pedestrian bridge, “Currently we do not have any designated water access points in that stretch of the river, on that side. All those points that folks are accessing those points are user created.”
Boulders, trees, and other materials will start getting staged this week. Isaacson says next week there will be some closures, “Starting on Monday, October 17th that’s when the trail closure is going to go into effect. We’ll have a detour for folks to go over the foot bridge and down the Bill Healy bridge to reconnect to the river left side of that trail.”
Isaacson says crews are hardening river access points using natural cut stone, “That will actually create a safer and better access point for the user and prevent any erosion and sediment getting put into the river since it will be hardened. The fence we’ll have along the restoration area will give the vegetation a chance to grow and thrive.”
The project is funded by multiple sources. Implementation of the project is funded by BPRD and grants from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and Sunderland Foundation that were awarded to UDWC. The project was also awarded funds by Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend project. Construction is expected to be completed by spring 2023, weather permitting.
