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82 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, October 25, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend August 27, 2003 Halt to creek project irks flood-prone neighbor By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune An east Medford resident who asked the city to fix a bottleneck on Lazy Creek so it wouldn’t flood his yard is disappointed with the state’s clampdown on the city’s project to clear the channel. "That project’s been on the board for two years," said Greg Roberts who, along with his Crestbrook Road neighbors, has to pile up sandbags to protect his yard from being flooded in heavy winter rains. "I testified at a City Council meeting years ago," said Roberts, who said he has lived along the creek for 30 years. This conflict could be the first of many to come because of Medford’s rapid development and a proliferation of culverts on local creeks, state officials say. Advertisement Medford Public Works crews were pulled off a sediment-removal project last week after officials learned they were polluting the creek. The Department of Environmental Quality stopped the work being done with an excavator and water to flush mud and silt out of a culvert. The city didn’t have the proper permits and didn’t have measures in place to protect the creek, an official conceded. "It was a plain case of ignorance on our part," said Wayne Pace, public works superintendent. "The city of Medford will never do that again." The project was entirely in response to area residents’ complaints, said Pace. He said crews completed the necessary work to remove the silt that was blocking the culvert on Burgundy Drive, which will help with the flooding of the nearby yards and roads. For now. "We think that the creek actually needs a far more extensive cleaning," said Pace. While the city awaits word on what penalty, if any, will be assessed, the department has been examining its policies, according to Pace. He said one of the things under discussion is hiring an environmental contractor who is accustomed to working on streams for any creek projects. Pace said depending on the project, hiring such a consultant could add a few hundred to many thousands of dollars to a project, but it would be a worthwhile expense. Pace said public works is also studying the creeks and the mild flooding that goes on in the wet seasons. "We believe the culverts are actually undersized," he said. Others agree. "The problem’s the culvert," said Jonathan Gasik, DEQ water quality engineer. "If they had proper culverts they wouldn’t have to clean them out." David Haight, a fisheries biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said there are hundreds of culverts in Medford, including those for Larson Creek, Lazy Creek and Lone Pine Creek, which have had steelhead documented in their waters. Sand and rocks can collect upstream around culverts and bridges, and erosion can occur below them. Craig Harper, water resources program manager with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, said the sediment problem around culverts is getting worse with development. "With the increasing development on the east side of the city, like that southeast plan (off North Phoenix Road) ... it’s a problem that’s going to be recurring," he said. Unless properly managed, breaking ground for houses increases sediment flowing into creeks, he said. "When you expose soil and it rains, it tends to erode," he said. Pace said maintenance projects, like the one that was halted on Lazy Creek, are rare for the department because of environmental regulations. "We haven’t done it in, I’m guessing, 10 to 12 years," said Pace. "In fact it was this culvert that was last cleaned. "Up until about 10 years ago, the city was pretty active in doing that kind of maintenance." Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times