Thanks for posting your thoughts – much appreciated!

Tom

I found the comments of the ODOT people a little interesting, but then I realized being a part of that department would tend to make them more interested in the engineering aspect of Hole-in-the Wall Falls. However, if their argument was to preserve that historic feat of engineering, in my opinion it falls short in three important ways:

1. The re-directed falls were only one part of that diversion. All the other features — the flume, and much of the historic highway and old railroad grade it protected — were removed without fanfare. If they weren’t deemed important enough to protect, what’s so special about the rest of the project?

2. The Historic Highway was finished in 1916, the Warren Falls diversion wasn’t built until 1939, and the highway was abandoned about a decade later. Thus, for most of the Historic Highway’s functional existence (1916-1939), Warren Falls was a roadside feature of the highway. If you want the highest level of historical accuracy, you need Warren Falls.

3. As you’ve noted, the diversion grate is in poor shape, and will probably fail in a few more decades. Then Warren Falls will eventually restore itself, but possibly in ways that could damage the State Trail they are about to spend millions building.

Finally, I thought your argument centering on what should be the values of the Scenic Area was the most compelling. While this may not be a priority for ODOT, the land managers should still adhere to the principles behind the Scenic Area act and insist that ODOT undo their alteration of the Gorge landscape.

Sadly, though, the lack of available dollars may end up trumping all these arguments, although ODOT has been capable of some creative re-distribution of funds in the past and also obscene amounts of waste. If you want proof, go to the Eugene Register-Guard website and read their recent series on the US 20 project in the Coast Range.

Sorry for the long remark; feel free to edit it for display if you like. And keep up the effort, Tom. I know it seems like a “long shot,” but I think if enough people hear this story, you will find that most people are supportive of bringing Warren Falls back.