OSU Hood River County Extension Service Central Gorge Master Gardeners will again hold in person Plant Clinics.

The Washington Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency for a large majority of the state on July 14, including the entirety of southern Washington and leaving out only Seattle, Everett, and Tacoma metropolitan areas.

The Dalles — OSU Master Gardeners are resuming the free, annual “Saturdays at The DIG” Summer Gardening Series. These short garden talks begin at 9 a.m. at The Dalles Imagination Garden (The DIG), located in the Port District of the The Dalles at the corner of Steelhead Way and Klindt Drive.…

US Army Corps dams, reservoirs impacted

The Beautification Committee announces the May/June award recipient of the Beautification Award. Lynn and Marlene Long (pictured here with The Dalles Mayor Rich Mays) put a lot of thought into making their garden a seasonal delight. Their garden and home is at 2401 Mt. Hood St. and easily vi…

The Dalles Beautification Committee continues to work in cleaning up the city.

Scotch broom was introduced as an ornamental along highway corridors and in western Oregon as a dune stabilizer. It is now one the most extensive forest weed species.

Oregon’s iconic Bottle Bill is turning 50. On July 2, 1971, Gov. Tom McCall signed into law the nation’s first bottle and can redemption system, which has helped keep Oregon clean and litter free for 50 years. Not only was it the first, but it remains among the best, with Oregon regularly se…

June 30, 2021, 3:00 p.m.

Boy, it’s been hot!

THE DALLES — Nearly 40 visitors, staff and residents gathered at the Oregon Veterans Home in The Dalles on June 16 to dedicate a “Never Forget Garden” in the outer roundabout in front of the facility.

What are today’s recycling realities?

Last Tuesday was Hallie Clark’s second day interning with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and she spent part of it herding three speedy, skittish fawns to safety along a busy road.

Firefighters responded to three fires Friday morning, June 25, burning adjacent to Interstate 84 near Rowena, and while working to put these fires out two additional starts were discovered along the freeway. These fires, named the Milepost 78 Fire, burned grass, brush and timber primarily wi…

THE DALLES — The Home At Last Humane Society released a statement June 17 thanking everyone who helped them evacuate the shelter in The Dalles following a June 1 fire threat.

BINGEN — The Bingen Wastewater Treatment Plant improvement project is nearly complete, with about a month to go on the rest of the updates planned for the plant, which services the cities of Bingen and White Salmon.

A pilot project could prove key to the future health of Wasco County’s Fifteenmile Creek, which originates in Mt. Hood National Forest above Dufur and joins the Columbia River just east of The Dalles. The project will test an underground water storage system designed to increase water flow a…

Hood River County, now in “moderate drought,” is faring a little better than its neighbors but the situation is predicted to worsen this summer, according to National Weather Service experts. With the exception of a small portion of the northeast corner, the rest of Oregon is now in moderate…

The U.S. Drought Monitor, as of Thursday June 8, put the eastern portion of Klickitat County in "extreme drought" conditions, the second highest category of drought severity behind "exceptional" drought. Western parts of the county were measured at "abnormally dry" conditions, to "moderate" …

Cherry Fruit Fly models developed by Oregon State University indicated that the cherry fruit fly would emerge in The Dalles May 29.

Poison hemlock is an unwelcome invasive plant in the landscape because every part of this plant is poisonous to humans, livestock, and wildlife. It even retains toxicity in hay because dead stems remain toxic for up to three years. Acute toxicity is fatal while skin irritation can occur if i…

The Oregon Master Gardener Association (OMGA) will hold a virtual Mini-College on July 16-17. This year’s theme is “Connect – Collaborate – Cultivate.” Mini-College is a two day gathering of gardeners of all levels who are interested in further developing their knowledge and skills.

Dying or declining trees stand out in contrast to the lush green of a new growing season in the forest. Bark beetles are the most common cause for dying trees in scattered locations across the Mid-Columbia region. Landowners and others in charge of tree care are advised to take special preca…

To adapt to flexible and hybrid learning models emerging from a year centered on public health response, Columbia Riverkeeper developed four virtual science units that tackle important environmental issues and inspire action. Kids can work on the units at home on their own, or teachers can f…