Editor’s note: Daniel Wadosky died after this piece was submitted.

A few weeks back, the subcommittee on Mirror Pond announced it would shelve its “vision” for Mirror Pond, Drake Park and the downtown area near the Deschutes River. That’s excellent news for advocates for a free-flowing river and also a golden nugget for Bend taxpayers.

This so-called “vision” was going to be a partnership between private and public interests. In reality, it’s not a “vision” but an “illusion.” The plan is a moneymaker for certain developers and power brokers that push the buttons and grease the wheels that made this city roll for all of the years I’ve lived here.

If we take a close look at the vision, private interests will build and develop prime downtown real estate, sell million-dollar condos (with mountain and river views) and rent commercial real estate at a premium. In 20 years, they can cash in on their real estate investment for additional profits. Nice.

And what’s the public getting out of this partnership? We get to pay for dredging and ownership of a broken dam and inherit the liabilities associated with ownership of the dam, like potentially contaminated soils buried under Mirror Pond. Trickle-down Reaganomics. Profits are private — hands off. Pass on debt and liabilities to taxpayers.

Now that the “vision” has been shelved, Bend Park & Recreation Executive Director Don Horton wants to take a proactive approach to dredging Mirror Pond. The catch in this new plan is making sure PacifiCorp will promise to keep the 100-year-old, revenue-losing structure around 20 more years. The estimated costs for dredging run into the millions, and the public will definitely be told to reach into its pockets and pay this bill.

Now, from my debits/credits desk, that’s not a very sound way to spend those kinds of dollars when in fact you are going to have to dredge again and again as long as the dam remains in place, and the irrigation districts continue to operate Wickiup Reservoir with no regard for the river. The irrigation flows in the Deschutes River are the main cause of sediment buildup in Mirror Pond, and that’s not being addressed. Dredge the pond, and the pond will again fill with sediment. More taxpayer dollars down the drain.

I have an idea that dredges the pond, removes the dam, reclaims the riparian area and is tax-free to the public — nada, no dinero.

Let’s tell PacifiCorp we don’t want its old, broken-down dam. PacifiCorp is required under federal and state law to pay the dam demolition and riparian recovery. Have its ratepayers do their civic duty and remove the dam, dredge the pond and restore the river.

Now we have a free-flowing river through Drake Park. Let’s sit back and take a look for a year or two and see if we like what we have. Then, if Bend taxpayers decide they don’t like the new look and want another dam and pond, they can raise their taxes (and only after a vote) and build one. Oh, by the way, you will need a new water right.

— Daniel Wadosky lived in Bend.