New bridge caps Whychus project

A new pedestrian bridge now spans Whychus Creek at the old Brooks-Scanlon Road. The installation of the bridge on September 22 capped a major restoration project on Whychus Creek.

The new 125-foot span not only improves pedestrian access; it's also a better structure for the creek. There are no center piers on the new bridge, so it won't pile up debris in heavy flows and become a pinch-point on the stream.

The project really got its start last spring with the removal of the Pine Meadow Ranch dam. PMR agreed to the removal and received assistance in establishing a new diversion point, along with more efficient irrigation systems that take less water from the creek.

That allowed the Forest Service to launch a re-engineering of about 176 acres of woods along Forest Service Road 16 south of Sisters. Now that Whychus Creek runs unfettered by irrigation dams, work crews spent the summer helping Mother Nature create new, more natural stream channels and creating in-stream habitat with logs and gravel to make miles of stream more hospitable to fish.

The work closed this stretch of creek south of town to public access through the summer. With the bridge installation, that closure has been lifted and folks can explore a new and improved Whychus Creek riparian area.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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