Oregon snowpack jumps to 172% of normal
Oregon’s mountain snowpack ballooned to its highest levels since 2008 after a blizzard slammed the Cascade Range with 20 to 30 inches of snow last weekend. The state’s snowpack reached 172% of normal on Tuesday, a metric that takes into account how this year’s snow stacks up against the last 30 years. In the Willamette Basin — including the Central Cascades east of Salem — snowpack is 178% of normal. Oregon had big snow years in 2017 and 2011, but this year has gradually surpassed both in terms of snow following a very cool and wet March and early April. The excess snow should mean reduced wildfire danger in the early summer along with an extended winter recreation season, but much will depend on how quickly the snow melts. While the amount of snow is way up, Oregon’s precipitation remains below normal, leading to low levels in reservoirs such as Detroit Lake. (Zach Urness/Salem Statesman Journal)
1st Klamath River dam removal scheduled for the summer
The largest dam removal project in the nation’s history will begin this summer. That’s when officials say the Copco 2 dam on the Klamath River will be coming down, followed later by three other dams on the river. Mark Bransom, CEO for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, said projects laying the groundwork for removal of Copco 2 are underway, with the dam scheduled to be removed between June and October. The other three hydroelectric dams — Copco 1, Iron Gate and JC Boyle — are planned to be removed in 2024. The project is expected to cost about $450 million with PacifiCorp providing about $200 million of that. As the dams are removed, the region will be revegetated with native plant species. More than 11 billion native seeds have already been collected and propogated. (Lee Juillerat/Rogue Valley Times)
Farmers and ranchers get a boost from federal grant program
Several Oregon farmers and ranchers recently learned they’ll receive more than $2 million from a federal grant program aimed at helping small businesses get food to market. One of those recipients, My Brothers’ Farm in Creswell, is still recovering from a 2018 drought that killed many of its crops. Ben Larson, co-owner and operator of the farm, said it takes several years after planting for a hazelnut tree to begin producing. The farm’s $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide some much needed help. “We didn’t lose those trees completely with a lot of them, but we had to basically restart their growth,” Larson said. (Nathan Wilk/KLCC)
Cannabis sales dip slightly in Clark County in 2022
Since legal marijuana first arrived on the scene in Clark County in 2014, sales have steadily risen — until last year. According to the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, sales in the county dipped to $83.9 million as the pandemic subsided and restrictions eased. That’s still significantly higher than the $27 million sold in 2015, but it’s down from the $93.3 million sold in 2021. That peak came during the pandemic, when sales of cannabis also spiked statewide — about $1.5 billion in 2021 and $1.4 billion last year. That decline in revenue has come partly from lower marijuana prices reportedly attributed to an oversupply of raw cannabis flowers. (Sarah Wolf/The Columbian)
Proposed change to Ashland food tax steers money to parks
In May, Ashland voters will decide whether or not to dedicate its special tax on prepared food entirely to the city’s parks department. Ashland approved the tax in the early 1990s as a way to buy more land for parks, but the present day 5% tax was expanded to pay off debts for the city’s wastewater treatment plant and for street repairs. The city’s budget nets about $2 million to $3 million a year from the tax. Some opponents say they’re concerned about getting rid of funding for major street improvement projects. But Mayor Tonya Graham said it’s hard to get loans for those big projects when the tax that pays for them is unreliable, something that happened when restaurants closed during the pandemic. Graham said shifting the money to the parks department makes more sense because it can pivot more easily when the tax revenues fluctuate. (Roman Battaglia/Jefferson Public Radio)
