The City of The Dalles is asking residents to cut back on water use starting Tuesday under a voluntary Stage 1 Water Restriction Advisory. To make sure there’s enough water kept in reserve for public health and fire safety, officials are asking all customers to voluntarily cut back on both indoor and outdoor water use. The goal is to stretch the current surface water supply until the fall rains return, which forecasters hope to see by mid-October. The precautionary move comes after record-low winter snowpack and the recent Grasshopper Fire, which burned into the Dog River Basin. On average, about 70 to 80 percent of the city’s annual water supply relies on surface water from the Crow Creek Reservoir and South Fork Mill Creek, with groundwater wells making up the rest during peak summer months. The City is emphasizing the conservation request is voluntary right now, but is also urging everyone to do their part to protect shared resources.
HR County To Do Polling On Services And Food & Beverage Tax
Hood River County will be contracting with a polling firm to learn about how citizens feel about a prepared food and beverage tax and how they prioritize county services. County Administrator Allison Williams says Commissioners authorized doing the survey as it considers how to develop more revenue sources to deal with an ever-tightening budget. It will get opinions on the tax proposals along with service priorities. A five percent prepared food and beverage tax was defeated by nearly 60 percent of Hood River County voters over seven years ago, when a public health and safety local option levy was also on the ballot. County Commissioners are considering a renewed effort for the May ballot.
Hege Emphasizes Money From South County Solar Wouldn’t Go To Endowment
Wasco County Commission Chair Scott Hege is emphasizing that money other taxing districts might receive from agreements for proposed large solar projects in the south part of the County will not be taken away for an endowment fund Commissioners are considering using tax abatement funds from recent Google agreements for. Hege says there is no intention to do that. Hege notes they are making changes to the endowment fund ordinance to make it clear where the funds for it would come from. He says those will be posted to the County website soon. The Commissioners will discuss the subject again at its September 23 meeting.
Grasshopper Fire Crews Making Progress
Crews are making progress on the Grasshopper Fire as warm, dry weather returns to the area. Firefighters and heavy equipment operators are improving containment lines, while repair work continues on control lines no longer needed for suppression. In the Boulder Creek drainage, crews are working on steep slopes where burned areas mix with unburned fuels. Timber fallers are removing hazardous trees ahead of firefighters. Chipping is complete along Forest Road 44 and continues on Forest Road 4421. Crews have also removed structure-protection materials, hoses and other equipment from areas no longer threatened. With dry weather expected to continue this week, firefighters are watching for increased activity. The Grasshopper Fire is now 93 percent contained and covers 93,990 acres.
Rain Slows Austin Fire
Crews are making progress on the Austin Fire after more than two inches of rain helped slow fire activity. Dry weather returned yesterday, allowing muddy roads and soils to begin drying out. Firefighters and equipment operators continued building and improving containment lines around the fire. An infrared flight found a small increase in acreage, but fire managers say that growth occurred before the rainfall. Crews are also removing fuels along control lines, using hand crews and heavy equipment to chip smaller trees and branches and move larger logs away from work areas. Near Forest Roads 5731 and 6310, crews are connecting existing roads and dozer lines to create a continuous, secure fireline around the fire. The Austin Fire is currently 12,722 acres and 22 percent contained.
Project Manager Selected For Hood River Pool Construction
The Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District has selected a project manager for construction of a new Hood River Aquatic Center. District Executive Director Mark Hickok says the district board selected the Wenaha Group, which worked with the Hood River County School District on the construction of the new May Street Elementary School. The first task will be to decide whether hire an architect first then bring on a contractor, or hire both at the same time and work together. Hickok says they want to be both fiscally responsible and figure out to keep the closure of the pool as short as possible. A bond sale is planned for spring or early summer of 2027. The District has selected an oversight committee for the project, which will construct a new indoor pool at the same location as the current covered pool.
Grasshopper Fire Quiet
Despite slightly warmer weather on Monday, fire activity was quiet on the Grasshopper Fire. Great Basin Team 4 Operations Section Chief Kevin Norton says the southwest corner of the fire remains where most of the work is taking place. Firefighters patrolled containment lines in the north and east regions of the fire to ensure no spots breached containment. Meanwhile, crews utilized excavators, chippers, dump trucks, and other logging equipment to repair past firefighting efforts throughout the fire. Forecasts Tuesday call for westerly winds, cooler temperatures, and a chance of thunderstorms over the Grasshopper Fire. Up to an inch of rain is predicted to fall over the fire Wednesday. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office has downgraded all Level 2 and Level 1 evacuation notices for Wasco County. Level 3 are still the same and have not been updated.
Work Continues On Austin Fire
Firefighters continue working the Austin Fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest in Clackamas County. Crews conducted burnout operations yesterday along the west, south and east sides of the fire, working to bring flames toward established containment lines. Firefighters are also developing a contingency line along Rhododendron Ridge. Tuesday, crews will improve firelines on the southeast side and work to confine the fire near several Forest Service roads on the northeast. Along the west side, firefighters will strengthen lines near the confluence of the Collawash and Clackamas rivers. The fire has burned about 12,610 acres and remains at zero percent containment. Weather conditions are expected to moderate today before rain moves into the area.
Nevada Street Sewer Project Starts on September 8
The Dalles Public Works Department will begin a sewer service renewal project on Nevada Street on September 8. Nevada Street will be closed to through traffic, including emergency vehicles, between East 17th Street and East 16th Court from Tuesday through Thursday of next week. Drivers and bicyclists will be detoured to nearby streets, while pedestrian and sidewalk access will remain open. Work is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Traffic controls will remain in place after hours because of an open trench. No parking will be allowed in the project area. Questions can be directed to The Dalles Public Works Department at 541-296-5401.
August 31 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Volleyball
Sherman def. Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 25-20, 25-8, 25-11
Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat def. Condon 3-1