Bend Park and Rec weighs ways to balance riverside access, protect habitat

District sharing initial plans with public for first time, seeking input

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- No matter the season, the Deschutes River gets plenty of use. Over time, that means the riverfront has taken a beating, and it has not been restored in more than 10 years. That’s why the Bend Park and Recreation District said it’s time for a change.

"The vegetation has dwindled,” Sarah Bodo, the district’s park planner, told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday. “Or (it’s) been trampled, or degraded."

Bend Park and Recreation is considering several new projects that would help protect areas along the Deschutes River.

The Deschutes River Access and Habitat Restoration Plan consists of 33 projects that would impact all 16 of its parks along the river.

"The idea behind this plan is to really try to focus access, consolidate it, and improve those access points that we all love to use getting in and out of the river,” Bodo said.

All the projects have been ranked by importance -- 13 are high priority, 12 are moderate priority and eight are low priority.

One of the high-priority sites on the list is right at Riverbend Park, where the district hopes to not only increase the size of the beach area, but also add a brand new boat launch.

That’s good news for kayakers like Thamir Alusi.

"It will be nice if it's a little bit more accessible,” Alusi said Wednesday afternoon. “It gets very crowded in the summer, and people with the tubes, you are afraid to go and hit someone accidentally."

Other projects are focused on habitat restoration, specifically along the banks of the river. Bodo calls that riparian area one of the most critical environments for wildlife.

"It also improves the aesthetics and just helps us be proactive and manage use along the river,” Bodo said.

For the first time, Bend Park and Rec is sharing its preliminary plans with the public, because they want your input.

People can fill out a survery (in English or Spanish), or tune into one of the three public meetings later this month.

Bodo said they hope to begin implementing the plan in the fall. All of these projects would take about 10 years to complete.