Prineville honored for Crooked River Wetlands project

The city of Prineville received an award Tuesday evening for the work it’s done at the Crooked River Wetlands Complex.

Mayor Betty Roppe said they are honored by this recognition of the Crooked River Wetlands Complex, a 120-acre facility that opened in April of 2017.

The complex took years of planning and coordination from the city, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The idea behind the $7.7 million project was to come up with a way to treat wastewater and re-purpose it to benefit the environment.

The city was able to do so by creating a wetlands that feeds water back into the Crooked rRver and creates a stable environment for fish and wildlife.

Now the city is being recognized with a prestigious award from the EPA for its work on this project.

Roppe said it’s a huge accomplishment for the city.

“We’re very happy about it. It’s just a very successful project, and it’s benefiting out community a lot,” Roppe said. “We didn’t have to go out for a bond, we didn’t have to do the things that we would normally have to do to put in a mechanical plant, and it will take care of us for the next 20 to 30 years.”

Roppe went on to say she’s so pleased with how the project turned out, and said it continues to have a positive impact on the community.

The project was selected after a nationwide nomination process, and was one of just five to be recognized across the nation.

Don Butcher, who works with DEQ, said the project allows for wastewater to be naturally treated through the wetlands, and having it seep into the ground, then make its way back to the Crooked River is something truly unique, and a relatively new concept in Oregon.

Not only does it do the job of treating wastewater, it also benefits wildlife, and is a place where people can recreate, as it features a nearly 5 1/2–mile trial.

Butcher said he believes this could be a trendsetting project for other wastewater facilities.

“It’s my personal hope that Prineville as a leader is setting an example for something that will be adopted by other wastewater, either municipalities or industries around the state and move towards more natural treatment systems,” Butcher said. “It does have its critics — it’s not without its critics. So I’m a proponent.”

Butcher said they had to work closely with the EPA to get this project done, adding the permitting process was unique because nothing like this project had really been done before.