Published April 8, 2021 at 10:37 AM PDT Listen • 41:37
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The usual lush green of the
Bear Creek Greenway bike and pedestrian path was blackened by the Almeda Drive fire in September 2020. Not only was the Greenway itself scorched, but the vegetation acted as a conduit for the wind-driven fire to spread from Ashland to Medford.
Since the fire, crews have cut down damaged trees before they could fall on people, and planted grass to prevent erosion. But those were stopgap measures while a more complete restoration plan could be developed.
We explore the shaping of those plans with Steve Lambert, Jackson County Parks Program Manager. He is joined by Greg Stabach, Natural Resources Program Manager at the Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG), and John Speece, Project Manager at the Rogue River Watershed Council.
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But the work is far from over.
Jackson County Parks says it’s erosion control methods are holding up well.
However, the water quality is dangerous and does pose a risk.
Non-profit Freshwater Trust is one of several groups involved in the restoration effort.
It says the water quality is being tested by the Rogue Valley Council of Governments.
“Aluminum levels are elevated from what I’ve seen of water quality samples that I’ve been aware of, that’s the main pollutant that we are seeing at this point, ” says Eugene Wier, with Freshwater Trust.
Studies have previously shown the water quality in Bear Creek was poor, even before the Almeda Fire.