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EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER September 22, 2005 City of Eugene 777 Pearl Street, Room 105 Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793 (541) 682-5010 (541) 682-5414 (FAX) www.ci.eugene.or.us IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION PRESS CONFERENCE TO MARK START OF CONSTRUCTION ON DELTA PONDS PROJECT PUBLIC COMMENTS SOUGHT ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLAN RECREATION SERVICES DIVISION HELPS ASSET MOVEMENT TAKE ROOT NEW HENDRICKS PARK BENCH DEDICATED TO MEMORY OF LONGTIME EUGENE RESIDENT OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY TRAINING PROGRAM TOURS CITY’S URBAN FOREST ROBERT PLANT AT THE HULT CENTER ON SEPTEMBER 28 ECHO HOLLOW POOL PAINTED BY EUGENE WATER POLO TEAM VOLUNTEERS AROUND THE CITY Press Conference to Mark Start of Construction on Delta Ponds Project A press conference on Tuesday morning, September 27, will mark the start of construction on a project to restore and enhance water quality and aquatic habitat in the Delta Ponds. Mayor Kitty Piercy will be joined by representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, area congressional offices, and the state of Oregon to speak about the vision for Delta Ponds and the significance of the work about to begin. Veraz Construction, Inc., of Tualatin has been hired by the Corps of Engineers to construct a weir, or dam, to establish seasonal flows from the Willamette River directly into the southernmost pond in the Delta Ponds system and to make channel improvements to improve water circulation in the first pond area. Future phases will improve seasonal water circulation in the remaining areas of the Delta Ponds system, enhance aquatic and riparian habitat, and improve recreational facilities, including the construction of new bicycle-pedestrian paths in the Delta Ponds area. While the initial project is fairly small – about $100,000 and several weeks of work – it is significant for several reasons. It moves the Corps of Engineers into the construction phase of a much larger project that up to now has been in the planning phase. Typically, the Corps assigns a higher priority for funds to projects in the construction phase, so this should help the overall Delta Ponds project move forward. It is also the first project that alters the hydrology of the ponds. Numerous habitat projects and some recreation projects have been undertaken in the ponds area over the past several years, including work done by volunteer groups and work funded by the state of Oregon and the federal Bureau of Land Management. The Corps project will actually affect the flow of water through the ponds. The press conference begins at 10 a.m. near the northern end of the Valley River Center parking lot. For more information, contact Eric Jones, public affairs manager for the Public Works Department, at 682-5523. Public Comments Sought On Stormwater Management Plan The City of Eugene is seeking public comments on proposed revisions to the City’s Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). Eugene’s SWMP is the set of best management practices that reflects the City’s commitment under its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater discharge permit to reduce pollutants to the maximum extent practicable. The proposed revisions to the SWMP are in response to requirements in the City’s new NPDES permit, issued in March 2004. Notice is being provided to residents in a variety of ways: information on the internet; a printed fact EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 September 22, 2005