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<br /> <br />Teen Team Volunteering at Eugene Public Library <br />Those in middle and high school: apply now for the fall session of Teen Team at the <br />Eugene Public Library. The group will volunteer at the Downtown Eugene Public Library <br />on Tuesdays, 4 - 5 p.m., from Sept. 24 through Nov. 12. <br /> <br />Teen Team participants help staff prepare items for check out, set up crafts projects for <br />kids, create displays, clean and organize books, and more. It’s a great way for youth to <br />support the Library, gain skills, meet new friends, and contribute ideas. <br /> <br />For more information or an application, visit the Downtown Eugene Public Library Teen <br />Desk or call 541-682-8316. <br /> <br />Wastewater Mixing Zone Study Includes Use of Ecologically Safe Tracer Dye <br />The Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) has hired CH2M-Hill to conduct an outfall mixing zone <br />study at the regional wastewater treatment plant on River Avenue in Eugene. The results of this work will update the <br />mixing zone study last done in 1993 and ensure the treatment plant continues its excellent record of environmental <br />compliance. <br /> <br />As part of this study, field work is scheduled for Sept. 10 - 12. The field work includes a short-duration injection of an <br />ecologically safe tracer dye, Rhodamine WT, into the effluent discharged from the treatment plant into the Willamette <br />River. The tracer dye will produce a visible red plume. A 20-foot jet sled will be used to deploy sampling equipment and to <br />perform a bathymetric (underwater river bed) survey. <br /> <br />Regional Wastewater program staff will be doing outreach to increase the public’s understanding of the work in the river. <br />For additional information, please contact Public Works Wastewater Division Director Michelle Cahill at 541-682-8606. <br /> <br />Controlled Ecological Burns Help Native Fire-Dependent Species Thrive <br />During the month of September, the Rivers to Ridges partners will be undertaking controlled ecological burns at several <br />West Eugene Wetlands sites. The City of Eugene’s Natural Resources team, with the assistance of the Eugene Fire and EMS <br />Department (EFD), has planned controlled ecological burns at several City <br />sites including Coyote Prairie, Dragonfly Bend, and two sites at Meadowlark <br />Prairie. The burns planned at these sites are part of a much larger controlled <br />ecological burn effort planned for prairies throughout the Willamette Valley <br />in collaboration with partner organizations. <br /> <br />The Rivers to Ridges Partnership relies on controlled ecological burning as a <br />restoration tool to protect valuable biological diversity in prairie and savanna <br />ecosystems. Removal of standing dead vegetation also benefits the <br />community by decreasing the chances of uncontrolled wildfire at the <br />wildland-urban interface. City staff works hard to make sure the community <br />is protected from potential negative impacts of fire. EFD and the City’s <br />Natural Resources staff carefully assess weather conditions and burn only on <br />days when the wind will blow smoke away from residential areas. The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency reviews the <br />controlled burn plans each year, issuing a permit and conditions under which burns may proceed. City crews mow fuel <br />breaks around the perimeter of each burn unit to prevent fire from traveling outside the planned burn area. Finally, <br />controlled ecological burns are managed by experienced and highly trained fire crews, including the Eugene Fire <br />Department, who are working from detailed burn plans. These plans provide extensive prescriptions describing how to <br />conduct the burn to provide the maximum protection for the community. <br /> <br />Additional controlled ecological burns may be performed by Rivers to Ridges partner agencies on lands elsewhere in the <br />wetlands, including on lands owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Army Corps of <br />Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Friends of Buford Park and Mt. Pisgah. Together these efforts will result in the <br />enhancement and protection of many of the important natural areas enjoyed by the community. See the "Willamette Valley <br />Prescribed Fire" Facebook page for short-notice burn information or contact Trevor Taylor, Natural Area Restoration <br />supervisor at trevor.h.taylor@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-4888. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 <br />September 5, 2013 <br />