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Wetlands trade
New habitat at lake makes
up for loss at airport
August 1, 2008
 |
A $6.5 million wetlands mitigation project is under
way to reduce the bird hazard at Klamath Falls Airport.
The work involves creating a 55-acre wetland on the east shore of Lake Ewauna to make up for draining about 25 acres of wetlands at the airport. Regulations require that new wetlands be added when others are filled, said City Manager Jeff Ball.
“We are eliminating wetlands inadvertently created years ago when the airport was built,” he said.
Flying ducks, geese and other birds create hazards for planes landing and taking off at the airport. In addition, mammals such as badgers and foxes are drawn to the runways by the existence of bird eggs and hatchlings, further elevating safety concerns.
“There’s a whole little ecosystem that thrives on each other,” said Bill Hancock, airport operations manager.
95 percent of the cost will be paid by a
federal grant
About 150,000 cubic yards of wood chips
and wood debris must be removed from the Lake Ewauna
site so wetlands can thrive. The material is left over
from when the Modoc Lumber Co. operated next to the
lake.
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| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman Dump trucks haul wood chips from land once owned by the former Modoc Lumber Co. along the southeast shore of Lake Ewauna Thursday, as development of wetlands in the area to offset those being filled near the Klamath Falls Airport continues. |
Hancock said about 165 dump truck loads have been taken daily from the lake site during the past two weeks. The material is trucked to the landfill, where it will be used to cover garbage.
Plants will be reintroduced to the Lake Ewauna wetlands site as part of the project.
Plans call for a trail to run parallel to the lakeshore, possibly setting the stage for a link with the Wingwatchers trail that is now in place on the western shore. The idea is to end the attraction of the airport by eliminating the habitat that draws birds and animals.
That requires creating what Hancock calls “a master drain program” at the airport. It will include enclosed pipes to prevent water from accumulating.
Ninety-five percent of the cost will be paid by an Federal Aviation Administration grant, with the city picking up the remaining 5 percent. The work should be completed this fall or by spring.
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