Delta Ponds Summer Construction to Open Waterways Temporarily Closes Trails

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it June 29, 2007 CONTACT: Scott Milovich, Project Manager, 541-682-6086 Lauri Mullen, Natural Resources Coordinator, 541-682-4925, i From Public Information Section, 682-5523 or 954-2938 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE III Delta Ponds Summer Construction to Open Waterways Temporarily Closes Trails i I'~ Construction equipment moves into place on July 2 for the second phase of a multi-year project I, to enhance habitat and recreational opportunities in the Delta Ponds area. II Contractors are installing two sets of culverts to improve seasonal flows from the Willamette River into the pelts Ponds near Valley River Center. Two 9-foot-wide, arched culverts beneath the East Bank Trail will'be gated to allow for flood control. A third 12-foot-wide culvert will be constructed under ' Goodpasture Island Road north of Valley River Center. Pro Landscape Inc. is the contractor, working under a contract managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Trail sections adjacent to the culvert sites will be closed beginning July 2 through mid- i September. Lane closures and detours on Goodpasture Island Road will occur while the culvert is being installed. Signs will direct trail users to use alternate routes around the construction zone. The gdal of the Delta Ponds project is to re-establish vital habitat for native wildlife and provide !i recreational opportunities for residents in the area. The project began in 2004 with the removal of II invasive non-native vegetation, construction of paths and parking areas, and excavation of inlets to improve water flow. Future plans include re-grading pond edges and additional trails and overlooks. !I Re-establishing seasonal water flow is critical for successful habitat restoration in the ponds. ' Tests done before the project began showed high levels of pollutants as well as overly warm water temperatures unhealthy conditions for native fish and amphibians. In fall 2005, weirs were excavated to connect the Willamette River to the ponds, and in January 2006 the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife installed a fish trap system to monitor species in the area. For the first time in decades, juvenile Chinook salmon were found using the Delta Ponds as a refuge during winter-season high waters. The Delta Ponds project is an ongoing collaboration between the City of Eugene, the Army '~,i Corps of Engineers and other resource agencies. Sixty-five percent of the estimated $6.2 million multi- year project funding is provided through Section 206 of the federal government's Water Resource Development Act. The City's share of approximately $2 million over the life of the project comes from stormwater fees and 1998 parks bond measure funds. ~irJ Eugene Public Works • www.eugene-or.gov/pw ' 858 Pearl Street, Eugene, Oregon 97501 • 541-682-5523 • fax 541-682-6826 • e-mail pwadmin@ci.eugene.or.us