The Nugget Vol. XLV No. 43
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
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Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Nature’s paintbrush...
Could City park shelter homeless? By Sue Stafford Correspondent
The Sisters Fire Community Hall was packed to overflowing, with people spilling out the doorways, for the October 20 town hall forum “Houseless in Sisters.” Panel members, all of whom are engaged in providing services to those lacking stable housing, provided salient information, and one man spoke representative of those living in the forest. A suggestion, which has come up numerous times over the years, surfaced once again at last week’s meeting. Why not allow PHOTO BY JEFF OMODT
Hearing continued on Sisters development By Sue Stafford Correspondent
Council chambers at City Hall was packed last Thursday, October 20, for a Sisters Planning Commission public hearing on a proposed 12.92acre residential development along the McKenzie Highway at the west end of Sisters. The hearing addressed a master planned develop-
ment, tentative subdivision, and minor partition on the Sunset Meadows property located in the multifamily residential district (MFR). The heavily treed property is located along the north side of Highway 242 across from Pole Creek Ranch, and backs up to The Pines senior housing community and the Oxbow Flats apartments on the north. The Episcopal See HEARING on page 10
Citizens learn to adapt to wildfire By Ceili Gatley Correspondent
When it comes to being wildfire ready, one of the biggest questions from the Sisters community is: How do we “harden” a home, and what does it mean to be wildfire ready?
Inside...
On Monday, October 17, Citizens4Community (C4C) hosted their Let’s Talk community event at Paulina Springs Books — a panel discussion about how to make Sisters a fire-adapted, and wildfire-ready community. See WILDFIRE on page 15
See HOMELESS on page 38
Keeping an eye on the Metolius By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Readers of The Nugget have noted seemingly low flows at the headwaters of the Metolius River, one of Sisters Country’s most beloved and revered resources. The latest reading by Oregon Department of Water Resources (ODWR) shows 55 CFS (cubic feet per second). In June of 2018 that was 102 CFS, followed a year later by a 95.6 reading, and last June it registered 74. Kyle Gorman, ODWR regional manager in Bend, recalls his very first reading of the headwaters in 1991 when it logged in at 61 CFS. The stream, its source bubbling from underground springs, closely parallels water years, and the past three years have seen highly elevated drought throughout Central Oregon. So Gorman is not surprised by the measurements. He’s not alarmed, but concerned. Earliest recordings are from 1972, when the flow was 133 CFS, so the longterm trend is deceleration.
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
Local residents have expressed concerns about the condition of the Metolius River headwaters. Old-time Camp Sherman locals partly blame the reduced flows on the growing numbers in our area. “Drought is playing a large part, penetrating into the water table, but as the community grows we are drilling into the water table more and more and more,” Jeff Perin, the owner of The Fly Fisher’s Place in Sisters told the Deschutes River Conservancy. The Nugget visited with resorts and RV parks along the river in Camp Sherman, and the source of all things Metolius: the Camp Sherman
General Store. To a person, all agreed with Gorman’s assessment, but were quick to point out that such ebbs and flows are common. Their clients, in large number anglers, have not said a word, as nobody fishes the headwaters. Indeed, a mile downstream from the source it’s good fishing, according to anglers we interviewed between the bridges. Norm Kaufman of Bend said, “Streamflow seems normal and the water is clear.” Miles Milliken, his See METOLIUS on page 26
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Announcements...............12 Obituaries ....................... 17 Fun & Games ................... 32 Classifieds................. 35-36 Meetings .......................... 3 Entertainment .................13 At Your Service........... 20-22 Crossword ...................... 34 Real Estate ................38-40