One of the questions we are asked most
often is "What are we doing at Camp Wallowa?"
As you
might know, a landslide did some serious damage to the camp-including the destruction
of our dining hall-in the summer of 2002. We were forced to close the camp
for a while to clean up and to determine the future course of action-on our
part and on the part of nature.
Between 2002 and 2004 the council spent
over $100,000 on Camp Wallowa. We restored the road, water lines,
and electricity to the campsites - since they had all been centered on the
dining hall and taken out by the flood. We also began the permitting
process with the State of Oregon and the Corps of Engineers to allow us to
fortify the stream banks to prevent further damage to our downstream
building. We did timber stand improvement projects to reduce the
chance of wildfire and to remove damaged trees that might be hazardous to
our Scouts and the public that visits the camp to view the
waterfall.
In 2004 the camp was reopened for weekend camping.
Since then many troops have taken advantage of the beauty of the camp and
the surrounding country and conducted week-long camps.
However,
since the slide raised the level of the river nearly 20 feet and now all
of our main buildings are downgrade, we have delayed further work on any
downstream buildings and/or potential fund raising efforts until the river
re-establishes its channel and we know where we need to spend any money we
can raise.
Earlier this year, after nearly four years of study, the
State of Oregon and the Corps gave us (the council and the adjacent
landowners) a final ruling that we will not be allowed to do any work in
the stream bed or banks to prevent further erosion, nor build another
bridge across the river to get to the Rotary bridge.
But the
campsites are in great shape, the shower house is open, and the mountains
are just as magnificent as you remember.
Council President Lee
Boman has appointed a committee to review future plans for Wallowa.
They are going to review the best ways for us to use the camp to serve
Scouts and Scouting in the future. The National Council of the BSA
has offered to develop site plans and building plans that we might
need.
We assure you that Camp Wallowa is part of the future plans
of the Blue Mountain Council and we encourage you to make a visit to the
camp as part of your outdoor program
plans.
