Mirror Pond fish passage advisory panel pauses work while BPRD secures funds for options analysis

Committee also seeking assist from dam owner Pacific Power

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Mirror Pond Fish Passage Advisory Committee, charged with recommending a preferred fish passage solution at the Newport Dam facility, said Thursday it's temporarily suspending its meetings while the Bend Park and Recreation District secures funds to hire an engineering firm for a high-level analysis of fish passage options at the site.

The advisory committee, which will use the technical information provided by the engineer to select a preferred fish passage option, will continue with public meetings once funding and a contractor are in hand.

Conditions for collaboration between The City of Bend and BPRD to contribute to the preservation of Mirror Pond are outlined in the Mirror Pond Community Vision and the City and BPRD Resolution 3165 and 430.

As a result, the Mirror Pond Fish Passage Advisory Committee was convened to identify a preferred fish passage option at the Newport Dam facility. The Advisory Committee is solely focused on “Enabling Fish Passage,” which is goal four out of the seven goals outlined in The Mirror Pond Community Vision.

To accomplish this goal, BPRD and the city requested that the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council convene and facilitate the advisory committee. COIC convened the panel in May. Public meetings have been held monthly and made available to the public via Zoom.

To date, the advisory committee has:

• Identified committee members’ interests and values,
• Fielded input from technical experts on three common fish passage methods (fish ladder, nature-like fish byway, rock ramp),
• Viewed site logistics and limitations during a field trip to the Newport Dam facility and the North Unit Canal fish ladder,
• Developed a list of criteria against which to assess each fish passage option, and
• Solicited and heard public input.

In order for the advisory committee to weigh potential fish passage options against their established criteria, they are seeking technical input from an engineer. The city and BPRD agreed that this is an important step, thus the advisory committee’s meeting schedule is temporarily on hold while BPRD works to secure funding to contract with an engineering firm for this purpose. 

The advisory committee is also drafting and submitting a formal letter to Pacific Power, the dam's owner, requesting financial support from the power company to fund the technical report requested by the panel. Meanwhile, BPRD is working to secure funding and procure an engineer to provide technical input to the committee.

Once the engineer is available, the advisory committee will convene to assist in outlining their scope of work. When the engineer’s report is in-hand, the committee will convene again to discuss findings with the engineer and work together to make a fish passage recommendation.

For access to past meeting materials and additional information and resources, visit coic.org/natural-resources-environment/mirrorpond/. The COIC Natural Resources Program Administrator, Vernita Ediger, is available to respond to questions or comments [(541) 255-7525] Phone calls are preferable to ensure timely responses.