The Mirror Pond basin, through which the Deschutes River raced as a trout-filled stream when Bend was a hamlet early in the century, was an ugly mud flat today.
Drainage of the big, lawn fringed basin was started last night, and by daylight this morning the river was meandering around mud banks as waterfowl fed in the main stream.
City officials were greatly pleased with the night selected by Pacific Power & Light Co. officials to drain the pond, to permit repairs to the impounding structures and to carry out other work: The mercury dipped to 16 degrees last night.
The sudden plunge of the temperature wilted aquatic weeds in the basin, apparently making unnecessary plans of the city to engage in an extensive weed-eradication project. This morning, weeds on mud flats were wilted over many acres.
However, the city will carry out other work while the pond level is down to stream channel. Part of this will include repair of rock walls in areas where cement did not hold. It is expected that there will also be an attempt to clean some unsightly debris from the basin.
Youngsters, en route to school, were on the job early this morning to make their survey of the muddy area, and found hundreds of crawdads dead in waterless areas, some of them on top of thin crusts of ice.
Work planned by PP&L includes the construction of a scenic water spout in the power pond area. It will be lighted. Also, a scenic wooden fence will be constructed on top of the spillway.
Level of the Mirror Pond will remain low for two weeks.
Source: The Bulletin ©1968
On page 8 in Sports: Kiki Cutter, Julie Meissner get thirds in respective ski races
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