MINES TO MILES Revitalizing Communities from a Post-Industrial Landscape to a Recreation Area Sarah Phillips University of Oregon Masters Candidate preface dedication 8 abstract 9 2 context the why 12 placemaking and placekeeping 14 abandoned mines 18 oregon mines 20 precedents 24 creation of central oregon 26 population growth 30 3 most popular trailheads 32 the communities 34 loved to death 36 activation through recreation 38 phillips site narrative ecological timeline 42 human timeline 44 site timeline 46 deq clean up 48 scarred earth 52 the spoils piles 54 4 site analysis 56 target community 58 the rural outreach toolkit 60 community outreach 62 land ownership 64 site conditions 66 future timeline 68 remediation and restoration landscape interventions 74 runoff + landscape interventions 76 soils + landscape interventions 78 vegetation + landscape interventions 80 high desert plant species 84 planting plan 88 5 master plan 90 site plans 92 steep slopes 94 intermediate slopes 96 gradual slopes 98 activation through recreation 100 phillips remembrance structure study 106 segmentation + a mark of a home 108 shelter from the elements + 110 wayfinding through topography wayfinding through forgotten forms 112 + a season’s cycle community cultivated in a campsite 114 6 opportunities for viewshed reflection 116 trails carved through moments on the 118 landscape placemaking and placekeeping 120 appendix glossary 122 references 124 data sources 125 7 phillips THANK YOU. University of Oregon Professors Indigenous Knowledge Ellee Stapleton The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Kory Russel Northern Pauite Tribe Yekang Ko Wascoes Tribe Rob Ribe Warm Springs Tribe David Buckley Borden Western Apache Tribe Arica Duhrkoop-Galas Chiricahua Apache Tribe Ignacio Lopez Buson And many more who lived in arid climates. Gwynne Mhuireach Benjamin Shirtcliff Peter Olsen Friends and Family University of Oregon Cohort Jack Colpitt 8 Basil Khalid Michelle Phillips Caitlin Jeffs Ellen Phillips Cameron Coronado The Colpitt Family Giffin Glastonbury Holly Phares Jake Brotis Other University of Oregon Cohort Katherine Harrison Katie Sinclair Mattie Ecklund Mikayla McKone Eva Kahn Phoebe Chuang Trevor Hattabaugh Sarah Goldstein Miles Momo Kelley Ted Meyer Jennifer Ginn Tressa Cummings Day Shelvy Tristan Matlock preface Abstract This project looks at the possibility of mined landscapes remediated into adaptive reuse spaces to provide equitable recreation opportunities for growing communities. These sites are a relic of time, and we can deploy placemaking and placekeeping practices to ensure the history of the site is not forgotten, and the character of these spaces are transformed for future generations. As a case study for one of those communities, Central Oregon should take into consideration its recreation economy and revitalize a previously strip-mined site as a new recreation park for its diametrically growing communities. This method of remediation of the Lower Bridge Mine will be broken into three phases: first, remediation through traditional ecological knowledge practices including crescent berms, branching on-contour swales, and trinchera dry stone masonry check dams. Second, creating a phyto-stabilization high desert planting plan and activation of a 9 seedbank on the site will reduce the harmful effects of the mining industry. Finally, a monitoring program to ensure placemaking and placekeeping techniques are deployed for a successful project. By transforming a wasteland into an enjoyable and habitable site there could be a perceived illusion that the past has been erased, but through signage and other remnant relics the history of the site and the lessons learned in remediation will not be forgotten. In conclusion, the site can become a case study for placemaking and placekeeping practices for future mine remediation to create adaptable landscapes. phillips 10 remembrance I. context the background to this project, and the “why” of why projects like this one should be happening. II. site narrative 11 III. remediation and restoration IV. remembrance phillips The project proposal stems from a need to create to try and revitalize landscapes that have been equitable spaces for communities that are impacted previously affected by environmentally detrimental by environmental devastation from industrial resource extraction practices in the hopes that the practices. At its core this is an adaptive reuse project, site in the future could better serve the community. envisioning new life for a brownfield site strip-mined “These neglected places, while often having a for diatomaceous earth. This space should first and negative impact on the environment and surrounding foremost be remediate any health hazards to the community, are simultaneously part of our cultural surrounding community. Even creating relief for heritage.” 1 communities as Central Oregon continues to grow in As landscape architects, we are given the tools and population and the lack of outdoor spaces decreases. abilities to look at the whole scope of a previously This site can be reimagined into a resource for Central industrial impact site and create positive change. Oregon, to provide curated outdoor spaces for a rural From analyzing the impact to artfully addressing community. Why should Central Oregon care about the potential of those industrial forms, landscape brownfield cleanup? The reason and core behind architects should be a part of the process to cleaning up brownfield sites are derived from the create meaningful, astute and carefully designed 12 eminent health hazards that impact under served interventions. communities, the moral pull and ethical pressure the why 1 Putran, “Adaptive Reuse.” context 13 phillips placemaking 14 “a process of community development that leverages outside public, private, and nonprofit funding to strategically shape and change the physical and social character of a neighborhood using arts and cultural activities” -USDAC Bend Whitewater Park, McKay Park context placekeeping 15 “as the active care and maintenance of a place and its social fabric by the people who live and work there. It is not just preserving [spaces] but keeping the cultural memories associated with a locale alive, while supporting the ability of local people to maintain their way of life as they choose” -USDAC Smith Rock State Park phillips For this project the concepts of placekeeping and the people who live and work there. It is not placemaking, are vital to the design decisions made just preserving [spaces] but keeping the cultural and the longevity of the remediation efforts on the memories associated with a locale alive, while site. The definition of placemaking is “a process of supporting the ability of local people to maintain community development that leverages outside their way of life as they choose”.3 This photo is an public, private, and nonprofit funding to strategically iconic view of Smith Rock, or known to Indigenous shape and change the physical and social character of peoples of the area as Animal Village, and these a neighborhood using arts and cultural activities”2 by prominent walls have provided space for community the United States Department of Arts and Culture. gathering for thousands of years. Although This photo shows the Old Mill Building and White- overlapping in concepts of defining an identity, Water Park in downtown Bend, a renovation project placemaking and placekeeping are different in that repurposed the mill building and its dams to their methods and therefore we see their outcomes create a lively downtown and new recreation area. diametrically distinct when applied to landscape The concept of placekeeping derived from a design. The success of adaptive reuse brownfield sites counter movement from placemaking, addressing the are addressed by professionals the Environmental negative results of gentrification and displacement Protection Agency or the Department of well intentioned placemaking practices can create. Environmental Quality but its life and longevity and In its definition it directly addresses displacement success of the design becoming adopted is dependent by stating “[placekeeping] is the active care and on the community that takes care of it. 16 maintenance of a place and its social fabric by placekeeping and placemaking 2,3USDAC Citizen Artist Salon. context economic opportunity re-empower a community to develop a sense of local pride connect creative thinkers to new communities cultural memories of the local area supporting local peoples ability to maintain their way of life as they choose placemaking emphasize empathy and equity within the current resources central oregon identity 17 disproportionate displacement of communities placekeeping self-destruciton of diversity gentrification lack of change lack of scope for brownfield site challenges with equitable rural outreach phillips Within the state of Oregon, there are over 23,000 abandoned mines. These include both underground and surface mining and their impact is widely still seen today. These mines were often a conglomerate of structures, buildings, rigging equipment, excavation tools, processing structures or housing for employees. The mine complexes were located next to the resource until the majority of the resource was extracted, and then the mine site abandoned. Often these sites were left without any reclamation practices implemented and some look like ghost towns, as if the owners had picked up and walked away. Others have unique landforms that have become characteristic of the mining process, and of the site itself. 18 abandoned mines Source: Oregon GEOHub, 2023 context lower bridge mine 19 phillips Bohemia MoXunXtXaiXn Opalite Mine, OXrXegXoXn McDermitt Caldera, NXeXvaXdXa XXXX Opalite Mine, OXrXegXoXn McDermitt Caldera, NXeXvaXdXa 20 Ochoco Mother LodXe XMXinXe Yreka Mine, CalXifoXrXniXa Yreka Mine, CalXifoXrXniXa These landscapes were mined for natural resources like precious metals, minerals, or commonly needed oregon mines industrial materials. They are high impact areas that have become relics of a moment in time and can be seen as an opportunity for adaptive reuse. context Gin Lin Mining Trailhead, OXrXegXoXn Gin Lin Mining Trailhead, OXrXegXoXn XXXX Suction Dredge Mining, RoguXe RXiXveXr Tererro Mine Project, OXrXegXoXn XXXX 21 Hydraulic Gold Mining Suction Dredge Mining, RoguXe RXiXveXr Abandonded Mine, Baker CXoXuXntXy -Oregon Historical SXoXciXetXy phillips These landscapes were mined for natural resources other. These biproduct piles are called spoils piles, like precious metals, minerals, or commonly needed and are created by dropping the overburden, topsoil, industrial materials. The commonly extracted or any other invaluable material into gravity formed materials in Oregon were timber, various gemstones, piles. These piles were not compacted or regraded, bentonite, common clay, perlite and of course, and were determined to be reaching their maximum diatomite. Strip mining is the process of scraping and size once the angle of repose was too steep.4 These 22 harvesting the natural resource from the surface of spoils piles are unstable landforms and are subject to the landscape and filtering the target resource from being colonized by invasive species or fragmented by the topsoil. This process results in biproducts of heavy erosion. mine spoils and mine tailings. Through segmented These sites are high impact areas that have excavation practice, strip mining segments of large become relics of a moment in time and can be seen chunks of the surface resource effectively while also as an opportunity for adaptive reuse. What is left separating the product and the biproduct from each at these mining sites varies from the industrial 4“Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act - Energy and Minerals Management (U.S. National Park Service).” context practice and the amount of degradation over time. clear-cut forests are perceived by any general citizen Some impacts are extremely detrimental to the or lay man as devastating tragedies. Both impacts environment and include toxic chemicals leaking effects are viable and important sites for remediation into the surrounding water, soil and air. These sites but it is important to understand the perceived and have critical clean ups zones and have been deemed inconspicuous health hazards that make up the many by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as high layers of a site. priority sites to remediate. Sometimes, these sites 23 are invisible contaminants that to an untrained or naked eye, are impossible to see. On the other hand some sites have less malignant impacts on their surrounding environments but have more visually reactionary features. Deep pits scrapped out of the earth, large tunnels carved through mountains, and phillips Malakoff Diggins Mined Land Nevada City, Wildlife Area Readhead Mountain California State Parks Radley, Kansas Chisholm, Minnesota @AllTrails @theWitchataEagle @CityofChisholm 24 context These are precedent rural communities across brings a tourism economy through the mountain bike the country that were a part of these boom-and- park with millions of dollars in revenue for the town bust industries. These towns developed a rural of Chisholm, an unimaginable economic opportunity economic revival plan through recreation and decided before the park was established. Finally, another to redesign their abandoned mines into public precedent is the Mined Land Wildlife Area in Kansas, recreation opportunities. A precedent in northern formerly strip mined for coal. This 8 thousand acre California, Malakoff Diggins, celebrates its mining site was an eyesore of environmental deprivation history by allowing visitors to pass underneath its until revegetation efforts began with plantings of unique landforms cut from hydrological mining. The native grasses, trees and shrubbery. All of these State park provides its visitors with scenic redwood sites have been transformed into destinations that groves coupled with well adapted historic mining stimulate recreation and tourism economies in the relics. Redhead Mountain in Minnesota was once surrounding towns. an open iron-ore pit, filled with ground water and is now home to world-class mountain biking. This park 25 The map shows the potential of mine reclamation across the US. The dots represent thousands of active and past mineral mining sites. Three examples are highlighted of reclamation projects that have taken precedents a wasteland site and retrofitted the space to active recreation programming. phillips jefferson lower bridge mine crook 26 TERREBONNE deschutes context Originally populated by many Indigenous tribes, nets.” 5 The homesteaders and settlers traveled across the culture of Central Oregon begins in time the lands and navigated through waterways in the immemorial, with the Indigenous tribes of the mid-1800s, brought with them a new relationship to area stewarding the landscape. These tribes were the land. In such a place as the high desert, with vast masterful in their understanding of the high desert landscapes and open skies, the homesteaders saw landscape, and their connection to the ecosystem is select landscape features such as sagebrush steepe or deeper than most of us outside of that culture could ponderosa pine forests as viable crop lands and timber imagine. Contemporarily, the Confederated Tribes stands. They disconnected the carefully curated of the Grande Rhonde remember “the Warm Springs relationship between all animals, plants, ecosystems bands moved between winter and summer villages, that the Native Americans so dedicatedly tended to. and depended more on game, roots and berries. A culture of honor was brought from the American However, salmon was also an important staple for Southeast, with certain families establishing the Warm Springs bands and, like the Wascoes, they themselves as professions of crop growers and fields built elaborate scaffolding over waterfalls which men. This culture is a complex set of beliefs, in which allowed them to harvest fish with long-handled dip honor is protected with strength and toughness.6 27 5Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, “History.” 6 Oregon Desert Land Trust, “Culture Keepers: A creation of central oregon Conversation with Rod and Cindy Hoagland Owners of Calderwood Ranch Fields Oregon.” phillips Reliability in government intervention in the precious metals), then to reservations. There loss Central Oregon region was minimal and the conflict of connection to the native landscape is something between Native Americans and homesteaders grew incomprehensible to many and reparations to amend into regional wars. From a certain perspective, this the transgressions allotted to the native peoples is a struggle and tension has never gone away. The reality drop in the bucket. 28 is that white settlers grabbed land they deemed The homesteaders who saw the land as valuable available and according to their cultural perspectives for natural resource extraction grew and the of farmable and cultivatable land. The indigenous infrastructure to support industrial extraction peoples were pushed to parcels of land away economy flourished. The building of the Oregon and from the viable natural resources (rivers, forests, California Railroad (O&C) railroad was monumental context to the success of Central Oregon business as it grew.8 A strong sense of personal capability and brought an ability to globalize the goods from Central grit became a cultural norm. This boom and bust Oregon across the country.7 That railroad was placed economy came to a fall in the 1950s and 1960s when cutting through the small town of Terrebonne, the natural resources were extracted and they had Oregon, located close to the rare source of diatomite. depleted all their resources. Legally they were not Throughout the 1900s natural resource extraction obligated to conduct reclamation practices and so 29 was plentiful and unregulated in Central Oregon, and these sites were left as wastelands and abandoned. remnants of their practices can still be seen today. Population increase was rapid as a strong economy around mining, milling and agricultural production 7Oregon History Project, “Natural Resources and the Railroad.” 8Cox, “The Other Oregon.” phillips Today, Central Oregon sits geographically in has been pushed overseas or scaled back significantly. the middle of the state and is composed of three With the rise of these economies come new cultures counties: Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook County. into our melting pot, peoples coming from all over the Central Oregon still attracts people who are pursuing country to claim their space next to large mountains nature’s resources, but in contradiction to the and rolling sagebrush terrain. This melding pot original homesteaders, Oregonians have moved in of cultures can be seen in its citizens and future pursuit of a high quality of life through recreation. residents of this community today, from First Nations As technology increases accessibility even in rural tribes to ranchers and farmers to recreationists and areas, people are given the freedom to choose where second home vacationers, all of whom have found a they live regardless of their work location. They can home in Central Oregon. move to areas that support their values and lifestyles. In the past two decades these counties have grown significantly and become destinations to live. Central Oregon offers pristine rivers, meadows, and forests all available for a range of abilities within a small geolocation. Housing and tourism have become the primary economic drivers of the area, and industry 30 population growth Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020. context 31 2020 Percentage Population Change -82.30% - -61.51% -61.50% - -47.81% -47.80% - -32.74% -32.73% - -19.40% -19.39% - -9.42% -9.41% - 7.29% 7.30% - 22.02% 22.03% - 47.73% 47.74% - 110.20% 110.21% - 495.41% Earthstar Geographics phillips Least Active lower bridge mine Somewhat Active Moderately Active Highly Active Extremely Active 32 Cascade Lakes Byway context HWY 97 This project proposal of restoration through recreation is a good fit for this mine site because the community in Deschutes County supports recreation and values public access to nature. This map illustrates the popular destinations in Deschutes County through aggregated visitor use and the size of the dot illustrates the rough visitation numbers in 2020. As you can see, the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway creates a bottleneck of recreation opportunities that are incredibly popular for the county. We can disperse our recreation impacts across the county by activating other sites, specifically the Lower Bridge Mine site conveniently located off of the Highway 97 corridor and adjacent to Smith Rock State Park. 33 Sources: Deschutes County Data Portal, 2024 most popular trailheads Mapbox Movement Data, 2020 Jack Colpitt , 2024 phillips These are both the urban growth boundaries outdoor spaces. The negative effects of outside towns and of the unincorporated communities community areas, meaning those places that are present in Deschutes County today. They are considered “destination areas” are feeling the remnants of boom towns of the industrial or impacts of crowding and those local residents of the homesteading era. This project proposal change their typical behavior to avoid crowding.9 of reclamation through recreation is a good fit The highly sought after areas are being loved to for this community because the community in death and the unsought areas are being sought to Deschutes County supports recreation and values compensate for an increase of people in pursuit of public access to trail heads. Although community the solitude of the great outdoors. The ways SCORP members may use their outdoor spaces differently, has decided to combat this rise in attendance is all value Central Oregon’s unique environment to manage visitation levels, educate the public on and actively participate or recreate regularly. Not natural resource impacts, and adapt any current all revitalization mine projects will fit into this infrastructure to provide a higher value to the proposal, as it would be inappropriate for some current user groups. This adaptive reuse proposal communities. This proposal is for communities will address these issues defined by SCORP in the that have shown interest in this recreation model design proposal to create more equitable recreation and have a place-keeping value system within their areas for the citizens of Central Oregon. community structure. A study was conducted by Oregon’s Statewide 34 Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) to understand the public’s main interest in their the communities 9 Outdoor Recreation in Oregon: Responding to Demographic and Societal Change. context LEGEND ACS Transportation to Work Variables - Boundaries - Tract Workers who worked from home 1 Unincorporated Communities 10 Urban Growth Boundaries 100 0 - 1.5 1,000 1.5 - 8.5 TERREBONNE 10,000 8.5 - 100 BLACK BUTTE RANCH SISTERS REDMOND DESCHUTES JUNCTION TUMALO ALFALFA INN OF 7TH MOUNTAIN / WIDGI BEND CREEK RIVER WOODS 35 DESCHUTES MILLICAN SUNRIVER SPRINGRIVER BROTHERS WHISTLE STOP LA PINE HAMPTON WILD HUNT phillips Ochoco ScaXblXanXdXs Burns RabbiXtbXruXsXh DeschuteXs RXiXveXr Ochoco PonderosXaX PXinXe Welded Tuff XPiXllXarXs Lewis GXlXacXieXr 36 Steens High MXeaXdXoXw McKenzXieX PXasXs BaXdlXanXdXs These iconic landscapes of Central Oregon are of sensitive ecosystems that are begin loved to death loved to death by over crowding an abundance of enthusiasm in outdoor recreation. context EaglXe XRXocXk CrookedX RXiXveXr Sister’s AspenX GXrXovXe BayX’s XLXakXe JeffersoXn XPXeaXk Lower 66 TraXilXhXeaXd 37 Stein’sX PXilXlaXr Waterfall in JeffersoXnX PXarXk Crooked River CXaXnyXoXn phillips This is why recreation is a viable option for the site. The site is called Lower Bridge Mine. It was deeemed a brownfield site by the Department of Environmental Quality in the 1980s.10 It is located off of Lower Bridge Way, an segment of a 37-mile Scenic Bike trail connecting the town of Sisters to Smith Rock. It is also directly next to the Deschutes River, which is a vital corridor for both aquatic recreation and scenic viewsheds. There are multiple state parks including Smith Rock, and Borden Beck Nature Preserve. Smith Rock is the most popular state park in the county and hod its fame for its over 1,000 sport climbing, trad and bouldering routes. Finally, the site is surrounded by public lands, either under state or federal government ownership. These public lands provide a particular value to a Central Oregonian who prefers solitude and a naturalized settings away from 38 10Department of Environmental Quality, “Health Consultation: Lower Bridge Mine, Terrebonne Oregon.” Sources: Oregon GEOHub, 2023 activation through recreation Deschutes County Data Portal, 2023 Travel Oregon: Ride with GPS, 2022 context 39 phillips the earth 40 the humans the site site narrative I. context II. site narrative located in Central Oregon, the Lower Bridge Mine site has a woven cultural, industrial and contemporary history that appears in the 41 footprints, relics and returned native vegetation that appears on the site. III. remediation and restoration IV. remembrance phillips The site was formed through geologic processes juniper woodlands to sagebrush steepe)). These millions of years ago. Born from the Pleistocene era soils are shallow in comparison to its counterpart of 65 million years ago, the Lower Bridge Mine site was Willamette Valley on the other side on the Cascades, most likely created from a pluvial lake in the Cascade which are composed of deep river sediment and clay subduction zone. The rock mined here, diatomaceous deposits and allow for many vegetation types to grow. earth, is created from compression of fossilized The topsoil in Central Oregon can be as shallow as a algae and fresh water aquatic plant life from dried few inches. The plant life that has grown and adapted lake beds. Diatomite is a siliceous sedimentary rock here are of a hearty stock, their tap roots are deep composed mainly of the fossilized skeletal remains and require little soil nutrients or moisture. Common of diatoms, which are single-celled organisms high desert species like sagebrush or great basin rye genetically related to algae.11 When Mount Mazama, have roots that go down 10 feet to obtain enough which is the eruption that created modern day Crater moisture throughout the year and can spread just as Lake, exploded around 7,000 years ago and the ash wide. deposit from that explosion covered the dried lake Mammals and animals that live in the high desert bed, creating the perfect culmination of compression, have also adapted to its unique ecology, sustaining heat and organic material to create the material of life through micro-climate topography that collect diatomite. Diatomite is a relatively light, porous sustenance like food, water or shade. Some animals material that is distinctly characteristic for its white hibernate through the intense months of winter or 42 color. Formed through the porous igneous geology of summer, avoiding the harsh conditions. There is a the area, well-draining soils accumulated on top of support system within the high desert ecology that the bedrock and vegetation took hold that was well mutually benefits each unique grouping of geology, adapted and suited to the shadow of the Cascades. vegetation or critters. A variety of animals thrive The different ecological communities of Central in this climate and have mutualistic relationships Oregon are distinct, with coniferous forests blending with the vegetation species. For example, pronghorn, into sagebrush low lands is unique to the area a small native ungulate, rely on native shrubs and (within a 40 miles radius you can pass through four grasses for a food source and also stimulate new different ecotones (sub-alpine, ponderosa pine forest, growth by browsing the branches or bunches. ecological timeline 11 “Pleistocene Pluvial Lakes.” site narrative Late Pleozoic to early paleocene the region is influenced by high volcanic activity. The 66 TO 56 MILLION YEARS AGO Oregon Coast Range is in a subduction zone with the High Cascades Region. 23 TO 5.3 MILLION YEARS AGO Oregon Coast Range is covered by Columbia River flood basalt flows. Diatomite deposits in the region originate in shallow freshwater lakes of the Pleistocene era. 7,700 YEARS AGO Mount Mazama erupts, creating Crater Lake, and covering present day Central Oregon with a layer of ash. Conifer forests, sagebrush steppe and riparian corridors find their footings across the landscape. Chipmunks digest rabbit brush seeds and in turn help scarify their protective outer shell to create robust patches of new species. 43 Pronghorn graze shrubs for vital PRESENT nutrients and stimulate vigorous new branch growth. Sage grouse gain nourishment from a healthy sage brush community and spread their seeds through droppings. Salmon swim the long distance from the Pacific Ocean up the Deschutes River to reach historic spawning grounds. phillips 44 site narrative The human narrative of the site starts with the Central Oregon. Within the site boundary of Lower Indigenous peoples occupying and stewarding Bridge Mine, all of these timelines have existed and the landscape generations before settlers and overlapped. Anthropological evidence is some of our homesteaders. The contemporary recognized tribes best resources for this site source from Cressman, occupying this space include the Confederated Tribes Ramsey and Wewa who documented the movement of the Grand Ronde, the Confederated Tribes of the and relationships of these communities as significant Siletz Indians, the Tenino tribe, the Confederated archeological, architectural or infrastructure evidence Tribes of Warm Springs, Cayuse tribe, Umatilla and was removed or dissipated with time. the Walla Walla tribe, but it is well documented that Finally, in present day, many new residents come many tribes would have occupied this area that are to Central Oregon for the high quality of living. not recognized today.12 As mentioned in the previous Local neighbors to the Lower Bridge Mine site can chapter, these tribes were very deeply connected with remember taking walks across the barren landscape the landscape and told stories, performed ceremonies as resilient bitterbrush, sagebrush and juniper grew and created a rich culture around the high desert in. The access to the pristine Deschutes River, Smith landscape. Rock State Park, and public lands makes this site a The homesteader communities came looking for gem for establishing a home. It is also worth noting fertile land to grow agricultural crops. The boom that many choose Terrebonne or the outer boundaries of minerals, precious metals and timber resources of Deschutes County for its solitude, and connection brought industry, and some found success in the to the landscape. The current owner of the site sought 45 form of diatomaceous earth. These companies were to buy this land to discourage a new neighborhood selective and destructive in their pursuit to obtain development and is keeping the site in line with the natural resources of the region including timber, community guidelines of Terrebonne Community minerals and unique gemstones found only in Comprehensive Plan.13 12 Native Land Digital Canadian Non-Profit, “Native Land Digital.” 13 “Terrebonne Community Plan Comprehensive Plan human timeline Update.” phillips The timeline of the site is an amalgamation of between September 1975 and February 1976. During human history and ecological context. The significant this time the mine was owned by Deschutes Valley periods of the site’s timeline include the Indigenous Farms, Inc., a corporate farm, which then formed communities that inhabited and stewarded this the Deschutes Valley Sanitation Company in 1974 to landscape, and whose petroglyphs can be found over see waste disposal.16 After operations had ceased closely off site. Anthropologist Cressman cited a the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) “white rock” as a common landmark during the and Department of Water Resources verified claims seasonal rounds and petroglyphs are found closely off of improper disposal of hazardous waste material site.14 It is unknown to me at this time if Indigenous within the corridor of a highly protected freshwater peoples just used diatomaceous earth as a wayfinding ecosystem, the Deschutes River. Due to the high tool or if it has a larger cultural meaning to the local transmission rate of the High Desert soils, this cause tribes. Out of respect for those communities I have for concern was taken very seriously. These toxic left that particular history of this site ambiguous drums were cleaned up in 1983 and 1985. The DEQ as it may be proprietary information kept in oral confirmed that the contaminants within the barrels traditions and any physical archeological evidence and ultimately leaked into the soil included cyanide, was ripped away by the later mining processes. lead, PCBs, and chromium.15 Homesteaders dominated the landscape and created The site changed owners in the early 2000s and legacy sites around the Lower Bridge Mine as it was was prepped for redevelopment into a residential directly located next to the live sustaining source community. The plans were ultimately denied due to 46 of the Deschutes River. The pioneers built a railway health hazards and negligent construction practices. that brought industry to Terrebonne. The Great Lakes Due to its proximity to the Deschutes River, the Carbon Company established shop from 1936 to 1961, state deemed a neighboring site as the Borden Beck extracting purifying and exporting the found mineral, Wildlife preserve in 2015 for its contribution to diatomaceous earth, off site. Excavation procedures Central Oregon habitat. The donor, Borden Beck was consisted of removing overburden and mining the an avid bird watcher and hobbyist ornithologist. The deposits in a series of benches layers, as purity was significance of this local character within the site’s variable within the deposit. Diatomite was commonly history shows the high value of the river as a natural air and kiln dried on-site. The site was strip mined resource even though it is next to a brownfield site, as and millions of tons of material was exported to well as the character of the community in this area, depletion. The owners established a new form of which is dedicated to the conservation of land and business, sanitation, and housed barrels of toxic waste the recognition of the importance of public access to for a year. The land was used as a waste disposal site natural spaces. 14 Cressman, “Petroglyphs of Oregon.” 15 Department of Environmental Quality, “Health Consultation: Lower Bridge Mine, Terrebonne site timeline 16 Chamberlain, “Phytostabilization of Abandoned Diatomite Mine Sites in Terrebone, OR Utilizing Purshia Tridentata and Soil Amendments.” site narrative TIME IMMEMORIAL NATIVE LANDS 1862 - 1864 Contemporarily known as the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Siletz Indians, Warm Springs, Cayuse, Umatilla, HOMESTEADERS Tenino and Walla Walla, these communities lived on this Santiam Wagon Road is established and creates a ferry land and were careful stewards of the landscape. crossing to get over the Deschutes River. 1975 - 1976 INDUSTRY 1936 - 1961 Great Lakes Carbon Company sells site to INDUSTRY Deschutes Valley Farms Inc., which becomes Deschutes Valley Sanitation Company for Great Lakes Carbon Company mined controlled toxic waste storage. the site for diatomaceous earth. 1983 47 DEQ and EPA Mine site was flagged as a detrimental to the surrounding environment by government agencies. Clean up began and 1997 drums were moved, lagoons were drained, and contaminated soils ENTERTAINMENT were removed. 2009 Kevin Costner’s post apocalyptic feature “The Postman” was filmed on site. CLEAN UP Removal of dilapidated buildings 2015 and remediation of toxic waste. 2015 RECREATION REDEVELOPMENT Borden Beck Wildlife Preserve was donated by the Beck family and becomes a part of the Oregon Proposal to develop neighborhood denied by city Cascades Birding Trail. council due to negligent clean up practices. phillips Drum storage for the Deschutes Valley Material in one of the 700 drums found on Sanitation cleanup (c. 1983 or 1984). Visible dust cloud (c. 2008). site. (c. 1983-1985). Collapsed portions of former mill structures Drum inventory for cleanup (c.1983). Former sludge pond (c.1983). (c.2000). 48 Drum removal and sludge pond cleanup East Side parcel with some debris on surface (c.1983 -1985). (c.2014). Former mill building (c.2000). Images sourced from Department of Environmental department of environmental quality clean up Quality (DEQ) and Oregon Public Health Division: Environmental Health Assessment Program (EHAP), 2008. site narrative Dust storm during an extreme weather event Former mill building (c.2008). (c.2008). Soil impacted by barrel leakage(c.1983). Pivot installation prior to watering and Former mill infrastructure (c.2000). seeding (c.2012). 49 Former mill building looking south Collapsed mill infrastructure and illegal Overpacked drum during the Deschites (c. 2000). dumping (c.2008). Valley Sanitation cleanup (c. 1983). phillips The afore-mentioned cleanup was conducted in due to climate change.17 Further investigation needs 1980s. The Department of Environmental Quality to be conducted to determine the validity of the (DEQ) began cleanup of the site in the 1980s. During exposure and take these concerns seriously. Due to the clean up all 797 number of barrels of toxic waste the changed hydrology of the site from the spoils were moved, as well as removal of one of the four dug piles, in high rain weather episodes the site’s existing open pit lagoons. The DEQ cleanup removed a lot of surface material (a combination of wind thrown 50 the hazardous waste materials, sewage sludge, the Central Oregon soils (sandy loam) and diatomite) will mine building and associated structures that became slough off and deposit diatomite sediment into the a health hazard to the neighboring communities. Deschutes River. There continues to be a health risk from the Strip mining is the process of scraping and exposed patches of diatomite to the neighbors and harvesting the natural resource from the surface of community members. Exposure to silica dust and the landscape and filtering the target resource from contaminated soils increases with extreme weather the topsoil. This process results in bi-products of 17 Center for Disease Control, “NIOSH hazard review: health effects of occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica.” 18US Department of Health and Human Services, “Exposure Investigation Outdoor Air Exposures to Crystalline Silica Dust and Particulate Matter in Wedron, Illinois.” site narrative mine spoils and mine tailings. These spoils piles are too large for the machinery to pile, the next spoil pile unstable landforms and are subject to being colonized was created. These are the remnants we see on the by invasive species or fragmented by heavy erosion. site today. Excavation techniques allow the miner to segment out large chunks of the surface resource and processes the product and the bi-product from each other. It is a dance of active pits, future pits and spoils piles 51 across the site, as an active pit was being dug the spoils were being discarded and shuffled along the perimeter of the future pit. These bi-product piles are called spoils piles, and are created by dropping the mixture of unused product and top soil into piles with a certain slope of repose. Once that pile becomes phillips SPO FERTILIZERS ASTE RO CK SED W PILE TERRACED UNU S EXCAVATION INSULATION BRICKS FILTERS KILN DRIED 52 DIATOMACEOUS POWDER The diagram sources the beginning to end of scarred earth processing diatomaceous earth into a powdery product, filter for beverages or compressed into bricks for high temperature kilns. site narrative IL S SPO FERTILIZERS STE ROC K P UNUSED WA ILE TERRACED S EXCAVATION INSULATION BRICKS FILTERS KILN DRIED 53 DIATOMACEOUS POWDER phillips IL S These spoils piles are culturally significant relics of A waterflow diagram was created to show where the industrial period. They have dramatically altered the significant runoff occurs into the Deschutes River. the hydrology and topography of the landscape, and These areas will need to have a detention program in have effects on the natural environment surrounding place to stop the non-point pollution. This diagram the site. They also pose a serious health threat also shows opportunity to capture runoff on the site, since inhalation of fine particle diatomite can lead before it ever reaches the river. to silicosis or lung cancer.19 The angle of repose is The aspect diagram gave insight into exposure significant on the Lower Bridge Mine site, as the site and the solar conditions on site and ultimately is already precariously located on a bluff off of the helped determine the appropriate high desert plant Deschutes River. This escalates the hydrologic effects communities. of the site significantly, as the magnitude of the piles The wind diagram helped give insight to the create the runoff of foreign minerals, or chemicals predominate winds going east to west over the became much more significant. Cascades for most of the year, with a southern wind A series of site analysis studies using ArcGIS and occurring in the winter. This helped determine the Grasshopper to determine the ideal locations for position of certain land form interventions to retain design interventions. This diagram of the current some native windblown soils and seeds. topography shows high points in red occurring around This viewshed map helped determine where the border of the tax lot, correlating to the deposit of opportunities for viewing platforms could be. For bi-product as the material was mined and processed this diagram the ten potential viewpoints are over 54 in the center. These high points are opportunities for layed into one map, in which we can see there are challenging recreation alignments or scenic views. large expansive views of the Cascade mountains, the The slope analysis diagram shows the angles of the Deschutes River, the neighboring properties including site and the dramatic slopes of both the spoils piles a vineyard and the high desert landscape including and the Deschutes canyon walls. This analysis directly Smith Rock. affects the experience of the proposed recreation Finally, the precipitation diagram showed how program, as a trail alignment with a sustainable grade much annual rain and snowfall the site receives and for multiple user groups will need to traverse the gave direction to the land form interventions. existing slopes. 19 Center for Disease Control, “NIOSH hazard review: health effects of occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica.” the spoils piles Source: National Weather Service, 2024. ESRI, 2024. USGS, 2024. site narrative Spoils piles at 15 to 30 percent slopes. Height of spoils piles ranges from 40 to 125 feet above Low grade.er Bridge Market Road Slough of diatomaceous earth into the Deschutes River during large rain events create 55 er non-point source pollution. v R i te s ch u esD A B C D FE F E D C B A 2880 2830 2780 2730 2680 2630 2580 2530 2480 2x vertically exaggerated 4100 4000 3900 3800 3700 3600 3500 3400 3300 3200 3100 3000 2900 2800 2700 2600 2500 2400 2300 2200 2100 2000 1900 1800 1700 1600 1500 1400 1300 1200 1100 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 ft phillips Legend Legend Point Significant Runoff Runoff Channels Causing 2,700’ 2,525’ Sources Erosion Elevation Significant Runoff to the Deschutes Legend Legend 30% 15% 0% Predominate Western Facing Predominate Eastern Winds Slope Aspect 56 F E D C B A Lower Bridge Market Road site analysis site narrative Legend No viewshed Viewshed One at 2,684’ Viewshed Two at 2,668’ Legend Viewshed Three at 2,674’ Viewshed Four at 2,682’ Western winds from Viewshed Five at 2,696’ March to October Viewshed Six at 2,690’ Viewshed Seven at 2,698’ Southern winds from Viewshed Eight at 2,660’ October to March Viewshed Nine at 2,618’ Viewshed Ten at 2,616’ Wind Direction Viewsheds DESCHUTES RIVER Legend USGS Soils Survey Soil Type Average Precipiation on Deschutes sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes Deschutes sandy loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes Site 14” of rainfall per year LaFollee sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes LaFollee sandy loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes Lickskillet-Rock outcrop complex, 4S5 to 80o percenit sllopPits ses Precipitation Stukel sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes Stukel sandy loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes Deschutes River 57 F E D C B A 2880 Spoil Pile Spoil Pile Deschutes River 2830 2780 2730 2680 2630 2580 2530 A B C D FE phillips 58 site narrative The proposed redesign of the mine should target practices in the form of local organizations who can the diverse community that makes up the population become the champion of this place, local characters of Central Oregon. The recreation program creates who are invested in seeing this project through, is a level space for community members to begin recommended for the success of the project.20 accepting new ideas or seeing perspectives from a different point of view. This may sound optimistic or naive, but the special place that a trail systems creates is unlike many spaces and the combination of movement, nature and community affords opportunity to have conversation. This feeling when on a trail is an opportunity for placekeeping practices to facilitate and create community. The intended audience includes outdoor enthusiasts, equestrian riders, ranchers, wildlife, tribes, and local characters and families. But, brownfield remediation work 59 takes a LONG time. Generations. Decades. It can get caught in a web of changing of land ownership, funding, regulations and policy changes. It is not an easy process and therefore using placemaking target community 20 Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, “Rural Economic Development Toolkit.” phillips When engaging with rural communities in line that directly affect their lives.” 22 This toolkit is a way with placemaking and placekeeping practices it to keep those voices within the design process so that is crucial that the community be involved in the the outcome does truly serve the direct community. design process from a very early stage.21 Often, these This guide is meant to be an ever evolving, non-linear communities are rooted in deep traditional values approach to engagement and design work. The major and don’t want to see change in their current way themes are to listen, to create shared authorship, and of life. Within the context of a brownfield site, the to allow for flexible timelines. exposure to dust, runoff and contaminated soils Currently, the voices that I have created are a is detrimental to the health and well-being of the generalization of the typical stereotypes of the community, and change is necessary. The UNICEF Central Oregon community. The three characters are community guidelines states “When done effectively, distinctly different in their use of public lands. One Community Engagement can improve the quality would think hunting, recreation, and conservation and utilization of services by making decisions more would not be able to coexist within the same site. This accountable and transparent to the communities they project strives to show that these groups are not as far concern, increasing the diversity and representation left or right as they may appear to be, and one project of communities in policy and practice design, and can serve the greater collective of Central Oregon. ensuring that communities have a voice in decisions 60 21 Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, “Rural Economic Development Toolkit.” 22 United Nations International Children’s Emergency the rural outreach toolkit Fund (UNICEF), “Rural Community Engagement Guidelines.” Nature United, “Indigenous Guardians Toolkit.” site narrative Resources Rural Outdoor Recreation Development Creative Placekeeping Citizens Artist Salon U.S. Department of Arts and Culture APLU Rural Engagement for Resilient Communities Indigenous Guardians Toolkit Lower Bridge Mine 61 Stages of Engagement listen to and research regional community visit the site and surrounding recreation areas iterations of design through shared authorship determine areas of growth for public health benefits identify and empower local champions meaningful involvement during design implementation identify the outdoor recreation character of the region create strategic long-term master plan monitor and adjust to allow for success of design interventions establish a diverse pool of funding equitable participatory community design charrettes share the gained knowledge phillips Sisters Local Character Rural Hunters Outdoor Enthusiast 62 “The site needs to benefit “Keep the rural character of “Would love to be able to the local community and we the greater Terrebonne area. recreate in a place with less need places we can gather as a Let’s dedicate land for wildlife traffic and competition to collective to share ideas.”* corridors!”* natural spaces.”* community outreach *These are paraphrased quotes from listening to an amalgamation of experiences from different sectors of the community. site narrative DESCHUTES COUNTY LINE BORDEN SMITH OOKED BECK NATURE ROCK RI LOWER PRESERVE STATE PARK BRIDGE MINE TERREBONNE E W A ID G R CHUTES SISTERS REDMOND 63 LEGEND Scenic Bike Route Deschutes River Lower Bridge Mine State Parks Public Lands Public Roads BEND phillips LOWER B Y VER CR ER RIV DES private • quicker timelines • no real opportunities to contribute to the surrounding community • influential to new ideas • budgets are flexible • independent to the wishes of outside influence challenges opportunities 64 • slower timelines • success of project create successful spaces for community • capped budgets • many voices • meaningful involvement public site narrative The nexus of this project lies within this spectrum remediation. As you can see here, the site has of private versus public land ownership in rural made some recovery in the decades since the DEQ spaces. In private settings, budgets are flexible as conducted its clean up. These ideas around furthering well as timelines, but they do not have to meet public restoration efforts were discussed but at the time opinion or provide opportunities for the greater good. were moved on from and the site visit ended with Publicly accessible lands can have capped budgets and just ideas. This has always been a debatable point for can have extremely long timelines due to bureaucratic me with this project, because as a landscape architect hoops but can provide opportunity for public input.23 I am biased to wanting to see the site transform from Neither one is inherently preferred or undesirable for a hindrance to the community to becoming an asset. a brownfield site, but they dictate the timelines and And the realities of working in this space can be outcomes of these projects. daunting. The site needs a master plan to help guide It is important to point out that at this time, the the restoration. site is privately owned and when I visited the site the owner expressed a passive approach to landscape 65 23U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, “Creative land ownership Placekeeping Citizen Artist Salon” phillips Barren landscape from exposed diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth on site. Volunteer vegetation takes hold. Secondary erosion gullies form from primary gully creating complex channels. Volunteer sagebrush on landscape. Erosion gully starts to form. 66 Mix of wind blown soils and diatomaceous Barren landscape with a few volunteer native earth. species. View from neighboring road. site conditions Site visit was conducted on February 5th, 2024. site narrative Edge of a gully that has attracted high desert Edge of Deschutes canyon walls. Spoils pile with a few established volunteers. volunteer species. Edge of property boundary with Smith Rock Rugged terrain with exposed diatomceous in the viewshed. earth. New gullies beginning to form. 67 Low point on site shows abundance of wind Volunteer rabbitbrush plant. New gullies beginning to form. blown soils. phillips Finally, this timeline illustrates the larger context of the design intent. The reclamation of the site has been conducted, as defined by DEQ, as sufficient clean-up and removal of the industrial processes and contaminants for the surrounding community. Remediation is the next step, which is the process of stabilizing any adverse effects the mining process may have had on the site through soil stabilization or phytoremediation. Restoration is the process of creating successional families within the plant community on site and creating natural system cycles on site. Finally, remembrance of the process that have happened here, even if the site is beautifully restored to a high desert ecosystem, is critical. 68 Timeline of the design intervention is based off of both restoration projects in the high desert and future timeline reclamation projects for similar impacted mined sites. This timeline may change due to unforeseen site conditions. site narrative 69 phillips 70 remediation and restoration I. context II. site narrative III. remediation and restoration 71 an exploration in the ways in which through small interventions we can detain moisture and building soils on site to provide a habitable top surface for high desert plant communities. IV. remembrance phillips SAGEBRUSH STEPPE PLANT COMMUNITY ORGANIC LAYER MANURE & LEAF LITTER Ca P DRY WINDY CLIMATE SANDY LOAM- N TOP SOIL C S WIND THROWN [Microbial Na SANDY LOAM Communities] Mg K DIATOMACEOUS 72 EARTH DIATOMACEOUS ELUVIATION EARTH ELUVIATION ASHY SANDY LOAM LAVA PLAINS ASHY SANDY LOAM SUBSOIL LAVA PLAINS SUBSOIL VOLCANIC VOLCANIC IGNEOUS IGNEOUS PARENT ROCK PARENT ROCK CASCADES CASCADES BASALT BASALT BEDROCK BEDROCK CURRENT CONDITIONS FUTURE CONDITIONS remediation and restoration Through a 2008 thesis research project’s soil the landforms is deployed. The diagram shows the analysis, we know the site’s soil conditions consisted predicted current soils on site. The site would have of mostly exposed diatomaceous earth, but some to be tested and sampled further to confirm these sections had begun to capture sandy loam native soils conditions. Throughout the site there is some exposed through predominant winds across the landscape.24 diatomaceous earth, but some sections have begun to Remediation by retention is the first step in the capture sandy loam native soils through predominant life cycle of the site. Creating shallow spots to winds across the landscape. Ideal soil conditions capture and cultivate a rich topsoil layer that will would begin with a diverse native plant community, support thriving plant community is a proven along with an organic layer of soil curated from way to gain such desired results. To minimize the manure and leaf litter. Then the predominate soil occurrence of silica dust storms, and for the cultural type in Central Oregon, a sandy loam, on top of the rehabilitation of the spoils piles, regrading of the site eluvial layer of diatomaceous earth, a subsoil of ashy is not advised. Instead, berms, on contour channels sandy loam from the various volcanic activities of the or low dry stone masonry retaining walls will be area, finally the parent rock of volcanic igneous rock employed across the site. Obtaining “good soil” on and the cascade basaltic layer. 73 the site will be challenging, and to avoid a costly dumping of topsoil across the entire 570+ acres can be avoided if an alternative approach including 24 Chamerlain, “Phytostabilization of Abandoned soil conditions Diatomite Mine Sites in Terrebone, OR Utilizing Purshia Tridentata and Soil Amendments.” phillips By deploying these landscape interventions of a the creation of a top layer of soil environment that crescent shaped berm, a on-contour swale and small rapidly accelerates soil biological activity, thus vastly dry-stone masonry retaining walls, the landscape increasing the total organic matter content within the becomes a sponge for water and soils to collect and to soil. encourage plant life. The dry stone masonry retaining walls were These top two soil layers will be encouraged and specifically used by Indigenous communities in the inhabited by the three landscape interventions. southwest to disperse the natural water sources. Rock Curated by farmer and engineer P.A. Yeomans, the dams in the Turkey Pen Watershed, of the Chiricahua keyline design typology takes the existing landscape Mountains in Southwest Arizona, provided a 30- and cultivates it to become more inhabitable for year case study to consider a Traditional Ecological plants and animals.25 This technique has been Knowledge approach to dryland watersheds. 26 The adopted by many in the effort to stop creeping USGS study reintroduced the low impact structure desertification, which is the spread of a arid landscape to the tributaries of the watershed and resulted in in which self-sustaining life is not possible. Many also a dispersal and spread of the ephemeral streams. In adopt this landforms strategy in farming techniques this design proposal, the dry stone masonry walls where water is scarce, or soils are poor. These will ideally be collecting soils and sediment in critical techniques are not original, they have been used steep areas (of 15 percent slope or more) and be since time immemorial by Indigenous communities slowing down the impact of erosion. The sediments in western arid climates and re-introduced as vital and organic matter coming through the gullies will 74 techniques in permaculture practices. Traditional build up sediments and organic debris behind the ecological knowledge within these landforms is structure to form thick, rich soils that sequester within the scope of placekeeping practices and carbon. These detention structures will create further collaboration with tribes would bring a soil-water sponges, and in turn create deeper root deeper cultural understanding of the importance of structures in the proposed plant palette.27 those landforms. This technique also emphasizes 25Yeomans and Yeomans, “Water for Every Farm.” 26 Norman, “Model Impacts of Check Dam Analysis. landscape interventions 27 Gooden and Pritzlaff, “Dryland Watershed Restoration With Rock Detention Structures.” remediation and restoration R6’6” R1’4” Carved Crescent Berms Cut and fill is balance and should be rough to avoid Cut and Fill Shaped Basins our slope compaction.cont 0.5% - 5% Slope Original Grade 1' Height 0’ 1’ 5’ Length Dependent on Slope Cut and fill is a balance and should be rough to avoid compaction. Branches of Ephemeral Swales 13% l Grad e On-Contour Swales contou in a r slope Orig 5% - 15% Slope 1' 75 8 - 30' Dependent 0’ 2’ 10’ on Slope Angle Average Boulder 1 - 3 ft³ lop e s tou r con Storage through Trinchera Terraces Check dam shall be placed 1/3 Dry Stone Masonry Detention Basins below grade to avoid erosion. 15% & Above Slope 15 - 30' 0’ 1’ 5’ Dimensions Dependent on Slope phillips 1'3" Depth 4'6" Max Sculpting the Landscape Lower Bridge Mine 14” Average Rainfall 76 runoff + landscape interventions All three landscape interventions, crescent berms, on-contour swales, and small dry stone masonry retaining walls work to capture moisture on site. remediation and restoration Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts (COLT) Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) Lower Bridge Mine Heart of Oregon Corps (COYCC) 77 phillips Fertilization and Seed Sowing Lower Bridge Mine Sedimentation 78 soils + landscape interventions All three landscape interventions, crescent berms, on-contour swales, and small dry stone masonry retaining walls work to capture soils on site. remediation and restoration Local Livestock Herds Crooked River Bison Ranch Lower Bridge Mine Wild Ungulate Species 79 phillips Planting and Monitoring Lower Bridge Mine Phytoremediation 80 vegetation + landscape interventions All three landscape interventions, crescent berms, on-contour swales, and small dry stone masonry retaining walls working to create habitatable spaces for a high desert plant community. remediation and restoration Humble Roots Nursery Clearwater Native Plant Nursery Lower Bridge Mine WinterCreek Restoration & Nursery 81 phillips The first phase of the remediation is to carve interventions the collection areas will begin to build the landscape interventions. These interventions up sediment or wind thrown soils. The introduction sculpt the landscape into a sponge-like form for of a herd of bison or cattle, or the visit of a native water retention. With less than 14 inches of rainfall pronghorn or elk would introduce manure and new a year, these crescent shaped berms and divets are organic matter to create a rich composition within imperative for lengthening the amount of time the topsoil. If herd animals were used, this would 82 moisture gets into the ground and reduces the impact bring local farmers to participate in a placemaking of runoff. Incorporating local organizations like the approaches to the project, like, for example, the the Heart of Oregon Corps could be a way to engage Crooked River Bison Ranch located outside of with placemaking practices while also being an Prineville, who use rotational grazing methods with affordable way to conduct field work.28 their herd of bison.29 The second phase of remediation is the These landscape interventions will encourage a establishment of soil. Through the landscape high desert plant palette to establish. Mixtures of 28 Heart of Oregon Corps. 29 Crooked River Bison Ranch. 30 WinterCreek Restoration and Nursery. chapter name shrubs, grasses and forbs should be spread across the low points of the interventions, so overtime the species can create a strong biomass and contribute to the top layer of organic material. Spreading seeds and planting plugs can create an established diverse plant community more quickly and is an opportunity for placemaking practices and community engagement. 83 Local nurseries including WinterCreek source most of their native seeds from the surrounding public lands or grow their woody specie plugs from cuttings. 30 phillips Green Rabbitbrush Serviceberry Bluebunch Wheatgrass Bitterbrush Purshia tridentata Chrysothamnus lamitus Almelanchier alnifolia Pseudoroegneria spicata Moutain Mahogany Oceanspray Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Wax Current Ribes cereum Squirrel Tail Elymus elymoides Cercocarpus ledifolius Holodiscus discolor Gray Rabbitbrush Rock Spiraea Saltbush Atriplex nummularia Steppe Bluegrass Poa secunda Ericameria nauseosa Holodiscus discolor v. microphyllus Juniper Juniperus occidentalis Cottonwood Populus trichocarpa Desert PeachHopsage Grayia spinosa Winterfat Eurotia lanata Idaho Fescue Festuca idahoensis Prunus andersonii 84 Mexican Cliffrose Silver Buffaloberry Purshia mexicana v. stansburiana Purple Sage Salvia dorrii Great Basin Rye Leymus cincereusSheperdia argentea Quaking Aspen Apache Plume Desert Sweet Prairie Junegrass Alder Alnus spp. Mugwort Artemisia frigida Populus tremuloides Fallugia paradoxa Chamaebatiaria millefolium Koeleria macrantha trees shrubs grasses Source: Taylor, “Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary”. USDA Plants Database, 2024. CalScape, 2024. high desert plant species OregonFlora, 2024. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 2024. iNaturalist, 2024. remediation and restoration Shrubby Penstemon Cushion Desert Buckwheat Dry-Ground Lupine Death Camas Golden Pea Lanceleaf Stonecrop Penstemon fruticosus Eriogonum caespitosum Lupinus aridus Zygadenus venenosus Thermopsis montana Sedum lanceolatum Thyme Desert Buckwheat Arrowleaf Balsamroot Desert Everning Primrose Showy Phlox Rocky Mountain Aster Scarlet Bugler Penstemon barbatus Eriogonum thymoides Balsakorhiza sagittata Oenthera caespitosa Phlox speciosa Aster adscendens Rock Penstemon Umbrella Desert Buckwheat Scarlet Gilia Wild Flax Franklin’s Sandwort Linear-leaf Daisy Penstemon gairdneri Eriogonum umbellatum Ipomopsis aggregata Linum lewisii Arenaria franklinii Erigeron linearis Prairie Penstemon Oval-leaf Buckwheat Common Larkspur Blazing Star Prickly Poppy Cushion Daisy Penstemon cobaea Eriogonum ovalifolium Delphinium nuttallianum Mentzelia laevicaulis Argemone platyceras Erigeron poliospermus 85 Wilcox’s Penstemon Northern Desert Buckwheat Scarlet Paintbrush Orange Globemallow Shooting Star Oregon Sunshine Penstemon wilcoxii Eriognum compositum Castilleja coccinea Sphaeralcea munroana Dodecatheon conjugens Eriophyllum lanatum Scorched Penstemon Snow Desert Buckwheat Golden Corydalis Prince’s Plume Old Man’s Beard Blanket Flower Penstemon deustus Eriogonum niveum Corydalis aurea Stanleya pinnata Geum triflorum Gallardia artistata grasses forbs phillips The proposed plant palette is a climate adaptive designs and more densely planted in the areas of selection of high desert species that can withstand concentration above the dry stone masonry walls.31 the extreme fluctuations of the high desert. The A modular approach is taken to direct the plant percentage of trees and shrubs will be dramatically palette, with different options for the many aspects less than the proposed percentage of grasses and that occur on site. The important concept to note is forbs. This is to continue to establish those nutrient that there are certain species within the high desert 86 rich cryptobiotic soils to be able to support species palette that can tolerate more water in the winter like trees. Mixtures of grasses and forbs should be months while still being fairly drought tolerant in the spread across the low points of the interventions, summer time. The generalists and drought tolerant so overtime the species can create a strong biomass species are hearty plants and should be planted and contribute to the top layer of organic material. abundantly throughout the landscape interventions. The trees should be planted in contour strip forests While most of these species can be planted together to directly connect with the on-contour swale depending on the aspect and conditions of the site, 31Yeomans and Yeomans, “Water for Every Farm.” remediation and restoration it is important to group species that have been documented growing together as this suggests a symbiotic system occurring by passing nutrients. The sagebrush community is incredibly diverse plant palette with a rich seed bank of forbs that occur in ideal conditions for short bursts throughout the summer months. All of these species are often wind 87 pollinated or sometimes by native pollinators like bees, beetles, butterflies and months. phillips Drought Tolerant High Desert Trees 13% coverage total Juniper Juniperus occidentalis Juniper Mountain Mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolius Mountain Mahogany Bitterbrush Purshia tridentata Ponderosa Pine Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata spp. tridentata Lodgepole Pine Saltbrush Atriplex nummularia Aspen Grey & Green Rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Alder Purple Sage Salvia dorrii Cottonwood Steppe Bluegrass Poa secunda Idaho Fescue Festuca idahoensis Shrubs 38% coverage total Yarrow Achillea millefolium Bitterbrush Buckwheat Species Eriogonum spp. Sagebrush Saltbrush Generalist High Desert Grey & Green Rabbitbrush Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa Purple Sage Lodgepole Pine Pinus contorta v. contorta Wax Current Wax Current Ribes cereum Oceanspray Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor Serviceberry Serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia Silverbuffalo Berry Silverbuffalo Berry Shepherdia argentea Red-Twig Dogwood Desert Sweet Chamaebatiaria millefolium Geyer’s Willow Squirrel Tail Elymus elymoides Mock Orange Bluebunch Wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata Desert Peach Oregon Sunshine Eriophyllum lanatum Klamath Plum Penstemon Species Penstemon spp. Golden Currant88 Lupine Species Lupine spp. Desert Sweet Death Camas Zigadenus veneousus Grasses & Forbs 33% coverage total Low Drought Tolerant High Des ert Species Steppe Bluegrass Aspen Populus tremuloides Idaho Fescue Alder Alnus spp. Yarrow Cottonwood Populus californica Buckwheat Species Red-Twig Dogwood Cornus sericea Squirrel Tail Geyer’s Willow Salix geyeriana Bluebunch Wheatgrass Mock Orange Philadelphus lewisii Oregon Sunshine Desert Peach Prunus andersonii Penstemon Species Klamath Plum Prunus subcordata Lupine Species Golden Currant Ribes aureum Death Camas Great Basin Rye Leymus cincereus Great Basin Rye Prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Prairie Junegrass Western Columbine Aquilegia formosa Western Columbine Bleeding Heart Dicentra formosa Bleeding Heart Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium Blue-eyed Grass Goldenrod Solidago canadensis Goldenrod planting plan Source: Taylor, “Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary”. remediation and restoration Legend Trees Berm Option One: Trees, Shrubs, Grasses & Forbs Climax Shrubs Seral Shrubs Seral Bunchgrasses Berm Option Two: Shrubs, Grasses & Forbs Seral Forbs 89 Pioneer Bunch Grasses Berm Option Three: On-Contour Swale Detention Check Dam Pioneer Forbs Grasses & Forbs Plant Community Plant Community Low Low Low Moderate Moderate Moderate 5” 6” 7” 8” 9” 5” 6” 7” 8” 9” 5” 6” 7” 8” 9” 4” 10” 4” 10” 4” 10” 11” 11” 11” 12” 12” 12” 13” High 13” High 13” High 14” 14” 14” 0’ 1’ 3’ 4’ phillips The proposed site is over 570 acres of restored high desert habitat. The recreation space addresses key community Legend members represented in the Central Oregon region. Multiple entrances lead you to small parking lots, creating a intentional Trail Mixed Used Program: limited number of spaces and availability on the western half of the site. Their are comfort stations and pavilions to support Mountain Biking, Horse Back Riding, Hiking, the visitors. Three miles of trails disperse from the parking Aquatic Access lot in all directions, often taking visitors on a variety of levels of difficulty, from flat terrain to steep inclines. Mixed use is A Campsite encouraged on the trails, to overlap different user groups and monitoring of the rehabilitation of the site. These trails lead B Comfort Station visitors to community gathering spaces, a river access path, and a camp ground. C Overlook D Amphitheater E Parking Lots 90 Vegetation Coverage - 84% 13% Trees 33% Shrubs 38% Grasses & Forbs Contours 5 ft Intervals Site Boundary 570 acres master plan remediation and restoration site boundary E r s ri ve te esc hu E d B A E B D D 91 A E C A B C d et r ma rk ge r br id welo phillips entrance entrance entrance site boundary site boundary ive r r s r e te riv hu ut es des c des ch ket rd r ket rd ma ar m rid ge e r b ri dg ow e we r b l lo Legend Legend Circulation Culturally Significant 92 Signage Moments Roads Industrial Remnants Mixed Use Trails Easy Indigenous Memory Intermediate Challenging Homesteader Impressions (Equestrian, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Aquatic Access) Contours 5 ft Intervals Contours 5 ft Intervals Site Boundary 570 acres Site Boundary 570 acres site plans DEQ Documentation remediation and restoration site boundary site boundary ver tes ri er u s ri v des ch te esc hu d ket rd r t rd ma rke idg e e m a er b r idgr low er b low Legend Legend Viewshed Landscape Interventions Predominate view: 93 589 Check Dams Cascade Mountain Range 200, 660 ft of Swales Deschutes River 11,949 Crescent Berms Lower Bridge Mine Park Contours 5 ft Intervals Contours 5 ft Intervals Site Boundary 570 acres Site Boundary 570 acres 11Parks, “California State Parks.” California Trails Parks and Recreation 11Parks, “California State Parks.” California Trails Parks and Recreation Guide. Guide. phillips The trail alignment is specifically designed to integrate the visitor with the three landscape intervention types. When the trail cuts over 15% cross slope, where one of the dry stone masonry retaining walls is placed, the trail will have to be built up with an armored drain pan. These structures are common in trail design and are created to allow runoff to pass over top of the structure without eroding the trail surface. They are also built without modern building materials like concrete or metal, and build their strength by a minimum 1 ft3 boulders held together with crush rock and gravity.33 94 steep slopes 33Parks, “California State Parks.” California Trails Parks and Recreation Guide. remediation and restoration 95 The check dams build up organic debris behind structures that form thick, rich soils that sequester carbon. The sub-grade of the armored drain pan is crushed rock from excess surface material and allows for moisture through rather than pool and deteriorate the surface of the tread. 0’ 10’ 20’ 30’ phillips ur 1o con t r 2 tou con ur 3 ntoco ur 4 ntoco 5 nto ur co 0’ 8’ 24’ ur 6 to 1” = 8’ con 96 7 nto ur co ur 8 ont o c When the trail crosses the swale, a foot bridge would be appropriate to allow for hikers to safely cross the land form. The trail is designed to have a 5 percent cross slope and to accommodate many trail users. remediation and restoration When the trail crosses over the on-contour swales, a bridge or puncheon will need to be built to allow for all visitors to cross the drainage comfortably. These structures will be built on a 5 to 15 percent back slope. Vegetation is encouraged to grow around the landscape interventions in linear forests as an establishment technique.3 4 A water bar or step down drain pan may also be considered if the slope is not too steep or the section of trail is already designated as a challenging or hard level of trail.35 97 34 Yeomans and Yeomans, Water for Every Farm. intermediate slopes 35Parks, “California State Parks.” California Trails Parks and Recreation Guide. phillips Finally, when coming across crescent berms on The section perspective shows all of the elements the lowest sloping points of the site, between 0 of the design proposal working together. The trail and 5 percent slope, switch backs or curving trail leads the visitor over the spoils piles at a steep but alignments should be considered to encourage hikers sustainable grade of 10% slope. The visitor passes to not cut across the landscape. Placing the trail through remembrance signage that prompts the alignment around anchor points like a crescent berm, visitor to stop and think about how this landscape boulder or tree is a great way to keep the intended was formed and the dedication it took to bring the trail alignment. Ideally, the visitor will move through native landscape back. the landscape on the intended paths close to the landscape interventions so that regular monitoring of the interventions occur. These interventions will fade over time as vegetation takes hold and sediment build up. They are intended to blend into the landscape over time. 98 gradual slope remediation and restoration Section A HP +2 HP +4 HP +3 LP 0 LP 1 LP -3 HP +3 HP +5 HP +4 LP 2 HP +3 LP 0 HP +4 LP 1 HP +5 LP 0 LP 1 0’ 5’ 10’ LP 2 99 1” = 5’ Trail loops through site to maintain and encourage participation in restoration practices. Grasses are encouraged to grow and to wither to create a biomass for new fertile soils. phillips contour 1 contour 2 contour 3 contour 4 100 Interpretative Moments at Viewpoints. Linear Forests Along On-Contour Swales. Native vegetation roots can go 20 to 30 feet deep to help stable spoils piles slopes. activation through recreation remediation and restoration Dock Along 101 River Allows for Contemporary Cultural Practices. Interpretative Moments at Viewpoints. Trail system designed for all user groups. phillips 102 remembrance I. context II. site narrative III. remediation and restoration 103 IV. remembrance how the elements of the past will become relics in the landscape and influence the experience of the Lower Bridge Mine Park. phillips In this chapter we discuss remembrance of the past. devastation caused by strip mining. Nature is the This site will be restored to a high desert ecosystem true precious resource, not the diatomaceous earth with vibrant plant community, suppressing any and the reality to these projects is that it could be exposure to the toxic silica dust. Eventually, visitors decades or longer of careful monitoring efforts before coming to the site will be able to walk through true restoration to a high ecological level is restored. fields of sagebrush without noticing the white The time, effort, resources and energy to get to back 104 diatomaceous earth below their feet. Nevertheless, to a sustainable habitable space is enormous, so why it is important to remember the site as it was, in strip mine the site in the first place? This project an effort to not repeat its harmful practices. If attempts to address the ramifications of strip mining, previously mined site can be reclaimed, remediated, but does acknowledge that in practice, the products and restored without a trace of past degradation, of diatomaceous earth are not inherently bad, and we visitors may fail to value the natural resources they as a society benefit from those products regularly. are experiencing or appreciate the magnitude of Fragile ecosystems like the high desert need to be remembrance protected and cherished for their inherent ability visitor to reflect, stop or react to a piece of the site’s to provide recreation opportunities and essential history. Placekeeping practices are more than just a community spaces. A part of restoring spaces like framework for design intent, they are practices in this includes remembering the fragility of those which community is a part of the whole lifespan of ecosystems and the harm that has been inflicted on the project. These signage pieces will be that physical them through poor management. representation in the landscape. In placemaking, As a reflection of a community that truly values spaces should be redefined as opportunities for 105 access to nature and the benefits it provides as the future community. The community gathering well as a rich history and pride in the labor force of spaces, including the trail system, seating areas, the landscape, it is imperative that we remember and overlooks are ways in which placemaking the history that happened here. Signage and practices can occur not in a physical form but in the interpretive sculptures will become beacons of relationships that are built on site. remembrance across the landscape. They invite the phillips native american wickiup rings mill building overlook dragline excavation swaths toxic waste drums amphitheater 106 processing phase signage rooms viable material piles docks landscape rooms imprint forms public gathering spaces These are six different forms remembrance will take. Landscape rooms, public gathering spaces, motion inhibiting structures, public gathering spaces, wayfinding, structural relics and viewing platforms will all take shape on the landscape. They serve to provide structure study an thumbprint of the history of the site for the visitor as they travel through the site. remembrance linear landscape cut excavation layers bag machine resting platform you are here site sections water tower pillars structural wave seating 107 topographic section posts processing mill building firepit seating wayfinding structural relics rest areas phillips 108 remembrance The materials in these structures will be indicators of the era they reference. Cor-ten steel frames on the left reference the industrial era’s stages of quarrying of diatomaceous earth. Each pillar will have a moment etched into the material describing the mining process. Wooden posts on the right show the reference to Native Americans who would have placed rocks along a tepee base to hold down the edges of their tents while on their season rounds across the high desert. The suggested text here are direct quotes from Indigenous websites or authors, and the final language should be approved by the tribes. 109 segmentation + mark of a home phillips Campsites will have platforms or huts for campers to sleep halfway through a scenic bikepacking trip from Sisters to Smith Rock or to visit the park from out of town. These forms reference the air filtration machines used in the mine to protect workers. Wayfinding signage on the right is brought to the landscape through mixed materials of wood and steel to orient the visitor and to show the trail alignment. These forms are impressions of the topography of the spoils piles and the trail alignment is cut through the forms to give the viewer a sense of direction. 110 shelter from the elements + wayfinding through topography remembrance Welcome to the Campsite. For years industrial practices were conducted on this site, and engineered forms like air filtration machines were to protect workers who were processing the naturally occurring diatomaceous earth. Now these forms are replicated into sleeping platforms as a part of a campsite to help protect campers from the elements of the high desert. You are Here. All three trail alignments bring you to a destination with a scenic view of the Deschutes River. 111 The alignment of the trail circumnavigates the base of the spoil pile and guides you along or on top of the remnant industrial material. The intensity of the trail ranges from easy to intermediate to challenging from left to right. Indigenous Industrial Indigenous Industrial Juniper Wood Corten Steel Juniper Wood Corten Steel phillips 112 Indigenous Industrial Indigenous Industrial Juniper Wood Corten Steel Juniper Wood Corten Steel wayfinding through forgotten forms + a season’s cycle remembrance These two forms are placed at specific locations on site as they are dependent on landscape features or culturally significant forms that would have had a location on the site. Impression signage shows the outline of the old mill through optical illusion placement. These signs are a mix of cut cor-ten steel sheets and wooden posts, indicating the significance of the building through the industrial and contemporary era. Viewers would have to stand along the path to see the true alignment of the mill building. A fishing platform made from mixed materials of wood and steel reference the cycles of the agricultural calendar during the homesteading era. This structure also promotes the Indigenous practice of dip netting in the Deschutes River. Recreationists will take advantage of this platform to access the river with boats, rafts or kayaks. 113 phillips Community gathering spaces within the eastern parcel camping area encourage conversation and provide a central location for placekeeping practices to develop. The crescent berms create patches of a second successional stage of sagebrush communities to flourish. The trail winds through the fields of sage filled berms to encourage monitoring practices. Wooden posts delineate a transitional space into a loop trail, giving the user a moment of cultural reflection and a reprieve from communal gathering for reflection. 114 A campsite becomes a space for travelers to stay community cultivated in a campsite between sections of their journey, or to gather around a campfire pit and share stories, experiences or knowledge with another recreationist. remembrance 115 phillips 116 remembrance As a reflection of a community that truly values future of a community. The community gathering access to nature and the benefits it provides as spaces, including the trail system, seating areas, well as a rich history and pride in the labor force of and overlooks are ways in which placemaking the landscape, it is imperative that we remember practices can occur not in a physical form but in the the history that happened here. Signage and relationships that are built on the site. interpretive sculptures will become beacons of remembrance across the landscape. They invite the visitor to reflect, stop or react to a piece of the site’s history. Placekeeping practices are more than just a framework for design intent. It is a practice in which community is a part of the whole lifespan of the project. These signage pieces will be that physical representation in the landscape. In placemaking, spaces should be redefined as opportunities for the 117 The overlook crosses the on-contour swale and provides the viewer with a scenic view of the entry to the park with a sign that shows the previous footprint of the mill building. The overlook circles around the opportunities for viewshed reflection previous place of the water tower re-imagined as cor- ten steel posts to provide the viewer with context. phillips Finally, retention basins are placed within the ravines as the trail switch backs along the spoils piles. Wayfinding signage and remembrance structures create a sense of place for the rider. The trail is an advanced alignment for a mountain biker to have fun as they navigate the steep slopes or for a hiker to take on the challenge of the spoils pile. A landscape room is situated at the top of the spoil pile, providing the viewer with a moment of historical reflection and a transition before the intended viewpoint. 118 The trail switch backs up a steep section of trail to a viewpoint. The landscape interventions are retaining trails carving through moments of the landscape soils and moisture to sustain a thriving high desert plant community. A wayfinding sign is an icon to navigate the trail system. remembrance 119 phillips By using placekeeping guidelines to design a proposal encompasses the need to remediate mine space with the participation and acknowledgement sites while exploring the possibilities of what those of contemporary values of the Central Oregon clean ups could become. community, the cultural context of the site will be remembered. Placemaking practices allow the re- establishment of the high desert plant community and a new recreation program. This project is a practice in blending the methodology of placemaking and placekeeping within an adaptive reuse project. These practices are crucial because each site is unique, the context is important, and there is no one size fits all for mined landscapes. There are thousands of sites scattered amongst rural communities that should be reclaimed and could be revitalized and restored to support a recreation program. Central Oregon is a growing vibrant community that prioritizes its opportunities to recreate and enjoy nature. This 120 placemaking and placekeeping remembrance 121 phillips Adaptive Reuse: Restoration: within the field of design, it is the term that is used restoration is the process of ecological re- when an existing structure is taken and adapted for a establishment of a location returning to a naturalistic new purpose. Within the landscape, an ever-evolving habitat moving target, within seasonality, vegetation growth and regression, adaptive reuse is seen when existing Diatomite/Diatomaceous Earth: forms, structures, activities or cultural practices are Diatomite is a siliceous sedimentary rock composed conducted within the same space. mainly of the fossilized skeletal remains of diatoms, which are single-celled organisms related to algae. Reclamation: the period of time in which adverse environmental Spoils: effects of surface mining are minimized and mined excavated material from the mining process that 122 lands are returned to an acceptable state consists of topsoil or non-pure material (unusable in the mining practice or maybe not worth the effort to Remediation: clean) that are temporarily stored in piles during the the removal, reduction or naturalization of excavation process. Modern mining practices do not substances, wastes or hazardous material from leave the spoils piles and regrade the site to a site to prevent or minimize any adverse effects on the environment now or into the future. These Placekeeping: interventions may look like soil stabilization, the active care and maintenance of a place and its revegetation, and/or decontamination. social fabric by the people who live and work there. It is not just preserve [spaces] but keeping the cultural Remembrance: memories associated with a locale alive, while after the remediation of a brownfield site it is supporting the ability of local people to maintain important to remember the history of the site, and their way of life as they chose. the destruction an industrial process can do to the landscape. In this project the signage will be the Placemaking: reminder for future communities. a process of community development that leverages outside public, private and nonprofit funding to strategically shape and change the physical and social glossary glossary character of a neighborhood using arts and cultural Dirt: activities dirt is material made from clay, sand and silt and does not contain live organic matter Brownfield: a site that has been detrimentally altered by Rural character: industrial practices. Specifically in this project the the feeling of an expansive space predominately process of strip mining and toxic waste storage are natural or the large land areas absent of built the two big factors impacting the site structures including residential housing, industrial buildings or commercial spaces High Desert: the high desert is a landscape that is above 3,000 Private Land: feet in elevation but receives less than 10 inches of private land refers to land that is owned by an average rainfall. The high desert is unlike many other individual or a private entity, as opposed to being 123 deserts in that it can receive snow in the winter and owned by the government or being part of the spring. public domain. Private land in a rural setting may include farmland, ranches, forested areas, and other Pluvial Lake: types of rural properties that are used for a variety a basin that fills up with rain water, and stays there of purposes, such as agriculture, livestock raising, due to low temperature and lack of evaporation or recreation, or simply as a private residence transpiration Public Land: Cryptobiotic soil: public land refers to land that is owned by the incredibly important for the high desert to retain government or other public entities and is typically its “health”, these are living soils, kind of the way the open for use by the general public. Examples include semi-arid climate’s top soils are held together without national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, or public blowing way, often described as a top layer of crust roads and highways. it is crucially important for retaining soil moisture, nutrients and carbon sequestration phillips Cox, Thomas R. The Other Oregon: People, Environment, and History East of the Cascades. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 2019. Deschutes County. “Terrebonne Community Plan Comprehensive Plan Update,” 2030 2010. Gooden, Jennifer, and Richard Pritzlaff. “Dryland Watershed Restoration With Rock Detention Structures: A Nature-Based Solution to Mitigate Drought, Erosion, Flooding, and Atmospheric Carbon.” Frontiers in Environmental Science 9 (November 4, 2021): 679189. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.679189. James G. Wright. Risks and Rewards of Brownfield Redevelopment. Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 1997. Kathryn Anne Toepel, William F. Willingham, and Rick Minor. Cultural Resource Overview of BLM Lands in North-Central Oregon: Archeology, Ethnography, History. University of Oregon Athropological Papers, n.d. Moore, Bernard. Nonmetallic Mineral Resources of Eastern Oregon, 1937. 124 Native Land Digital Canadian Non-Profit. “Native Land Digital.” Native-Land.ca. Accessed April 25, 2024. https://native-land.ca/. Norman, Laura M., and Rewati Niraula. “Model Analysis of Check Dam Impacts on Long-Term Sediment and Water Budgets in Southeast Arizona, USA.” Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology 16, no. 3 (August 2016): 125–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecohyd.2015.12.001. “Oregon Health Authority : Lower Bridge Mine : Environmental Health Assessment : State of Oregon.” Accessed December 5, 2023. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/healthyenvironments/trackingassessment/ environmentalhealthassessment/pages/lbmsite.aspx. Parks, California State. “California State Parks.” CA State Parks. Accessed May 5, 2024. https://www.parks. ca.gov/. references references “Pleistocene Pluvial Lakes.” Accessed April 19, 2024. https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/ pleistocene-pluvial-lakes/. Ramsey, Jarold. New Era: Reflections on the Human and Natural History of Central Oregon. 1st ed. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 2003. Ronald J. Taylor. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary. Mountain Press Publishing Company, 1992. Sam Chamberlain. “Phytostabilization of Abandoned Diatomite Mine Sites in Terrebone, OR Utilizing Purshia Tridentata and Soil Amendments.” Reed College, 2008. “Smith Rock State Park.” Accessed December 5, 2023. https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/smith_ rock_state_park/. “Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act - Energy and Minerals Management (U.S. National Park Service).” Accessed December 5, 2023. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/energyminerals/smcra.htm. 125 Wewa, Wilson. Legends of the Northern Paiute: As Told by Wilson Wewa. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 2017. Yeomans, Ken B., and P. A. Yeomans. Water for Every Farm: Yeomans Keyline Plan. Southport, Qld: Keyline Designs, 2002. data sources Deschutes County Data Portal USGS Geological Survey Deschutes County Dial USGS Soils Survey ESRI ArcGIS Hub United States Census Bureau Oregon Geohub Mapbox Movement Data Native Land Digital Platform phillips