Scott Swanson
Construction is the big news as the Linn County Parks and Recreation Department kicks off the official summer season, which is considered the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Parks Director Brian Carroll said the unseasonably warm and dry weather this year, as in 2015, has sparked a surge in early-season camping.
Though he didn’t have specific numbers available, he said business picked up at least a month before Memorial Day.
“We haven’t been selling out in April, but we’ve been close,” he said. “Last spring we did very, very well.”
Business has steadily grown at River Bend, the county’s newest park, which now offers 73 campsites.
“During the summer, River Bend is approaching Sunnyside, our most popular facility,” Carroll said. “If you’re picky, you have to get on it. Sunnyside, River Bend and Clear Lake – there’s a premium to get into those.”
Work is going full-bore in the Quartzville area, particularly at Whitcomb Creek. Elsewhere, the upcoming construction at Sheep Creek is expected to close Highway 20 for some six weeks following the Oregon Jamboree, and that will impact travel from the west to the county’s eastern-most facilities, he said.
Here are specifics on what’s happening:
Whitcomb Creek
Campground Expansion
The expansion of Whitcomb Creek Campground, which is under way and which, Carroll said, he hopes to have opened by the start of the camping season in 2017, is the department’s biggest project.
“Thanks to a grant we have received from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department through its County Opportunity Grant Program, we plan to more than double the size of the campground – from 39 campsites to approximately 92,” Carroll said.
“Essentially, we will be putting in two new loops, one to the north of the existing camping area and the other to the east.”
The boat ramp and other existing facilities will remain.
He said visitors may be impacted by weekday construction, which is expected to last all summer.
“Since we can’t do a lot of the kind of work during the rainy season, it’s necessary to do it during the camping season,” Carroll said. “We appreciate people’s patience with noise and other effects of construction. We are not allowing our contractors to do construction work on weekends, so most of the effects will be felt during weekdays.”
Quartzville Road Camping
Last summer, in response to demand for Quartzville-area camping after the Corps of Engineers closed down roadside camping in the area, the county opened a group camp site above Rocky Top Bridge, near the Trout Creek area.
This Trout Creek, different from the one the county manages for the U.S. Forest Service on Highway 20, is located where Quartzville Creek enters Green Peter Reservoir on the Quartzville Arm.
“In the past, a lot of disbursed camping took place in this area, which has the shape of a long, narrow campground,” Carroll said.
The new group camp is named the Quartzville Group Camp and the county is taking reservations at (541) 967-3917.
“The site has limited facilities now, but our plan is to develop it into a more formal campground,” Carroll said. “Also, we’re continuing to look for a site on Green Peter to improve boating access to the lake – either a new boat ramp or a marina. The terrain is very difficult to work with on Green Peter, so it can be very cost-prohibitive to develop new sites but we are working on it.”
Road Repairs and Improvements
Work on Quartzville Road, which has been in the planning stages for the past couple of years, is under way. The project will widen Quartzville Road from 22 to 30 feet and provide paved shoulders that will allow for safer pedestrian and bicycle travel, though there will not actually be bike lanes. The project also includes pull-outs with restrooms and visitor kiosks near Sunnyside Campground and at Green Peter Dam, a similarly equipped overflow parking area at the Thistle Creek boat ramp, and stabilization of slide areas.
Foster Lake
Last summer the county began offering kayak and stand-up paddle board rentals at Lewis Creek Park, which, Carroll said, “proved to be very popular.
“We’re adding tandem kayaks this summer, in response to requests from customers.”
Also, several sporting events will return this year to Lewis Creek Park: the Best of the West Triathlon series in early September, the Oregon Masters Aquatics distance swims in late June, and the TruWest Oregon Open Water Tournament bringing some of the top youth water polo teams in the West together in a unique setting in mid-July, along with the Wake the World water sports event for foster children in late July, based at Sunnyside.
All of the athletic events are open to spectators.
Clear Lake
Remodeling and improvements at the resort, which continues to be hugely popular, Carroll said. Cabins 21 and 22 have new flooring.
Also, the marina has gotten an upgrade in boat selection.
“In addition to the bigger, heavier rental boats we began offering last summer, we have also added kayaks to our rental fleet at Clear Lake,” Carroll said.
National Forest Campgrounds
Thanks to the U.S. Forest Service, two of the campgrounds that Linn County manages for them will get new wells this year. The well at Fernview has failed and Longbow’s has produced water inconsistently. The Forest Service has stepped up to fund the drilling of two new wells, probably in July.
Highway 20 Construction
Construction work in the Sheep Creek area on Highway 20 is expected to completely close the highway during August and part of September.
This is the second phase of an effort, begun last year, to address earth movement, and bridge and highway damage from an active landslide on the east end of the Sheep Creek Bridge, located approximately 25 miles east of Sweet Home, at milepost 56.6.
Sheep Creek Bridge was built with its eastern abutment located on an active slide. When it was replaced in 1962, the new bridge was designed to accommodate slide movement and be adjusted as the earth around it moved.
In 1993, 2006 and 2011, the east abutment was adjusted for slide movement. Until about 2010, the earth movement was measured at approximately one inch per year. For the past five years, however, the movement has increased to 6 to 7 inches per year.
For visitors traveling eastward from the Willamette Valley, the good news is that all of the National Forest campgrounds managed by the county will still be easily accessible, with the exception of Lost Prairie and Clear Lake, Carroll said.
To reach those, the best way to drive to those areas is go via Highway 22 or 126. There is also the option of East Linn Shuttle’s Clear Lake bus, which can get riders there via forest back roads – and bring them back when they’re ready to return
Technological Transition
Carroll said the Parks Department is modernizing some of its services with new technology. This summer, some parks staff will be equipped with laptops or tablets so they can process reservations out in the field.
A new website, at http://www.linnparks.com, has been upgraded.
“We’ve been getting some good feedback on the new look,” Carroll said. “I personally think it’s a pretty good upgrade from our former site. Also, our reservations system has moved to a new-generation platform, which we expect to, improve its functionality.”