After tipping into the Deschutes River more than two years ago, a cherished willow tree in Bend is still clinging to the east riverbank near the Galveston Avenue bridge.

With the help of some caretakers, the willow has put down new roots, has been protected from beavers and is living on through cuttings that have been planted around Bend.

“Its angle of repose has changed, but it keeps on ticking,” said Pam Stevenson, who lives on NW Riverfront Street. Her backyard and a neighbor’s are home to the tree.

The willow, which is believed to be about 50 years old, fell in August 2012. Stevenson said about 90 percent of its roots were rotted at the time and likely caused its fractured state.

There were plans to remove the tree, but some of its roots remained entrenched in the riverbank. Stevenson and friends reworked the area around the tree and preserved the roots that were still there. They also removed branches hanging in the river that were a potential danger to floaters.

“It was a beloved tree, and the whole community chipped in to help,” said Stevenson.

The tree was dubbed “Popcorn’s Willow” for Stevenson’s corgi and Jack Russell mix, Popcorn, who is buried beneath the tree.

Preserving the tree hasn’t been easy. When a hole emerged in the Mirror Pond dam in October 2013, the waterline dropped and left the willow’s roots “high and dry” and “stressed the tree,” Stevenson said.

“It’s one tough old mother, that tree,” she said.

Beavers also went after the tree and “started to attack it.” Stevenson said she spent several hundred dollars on chicken wire to wrap parts of the tree to keep beavers away. She thought about giving up at times after branches were lost.

“It will be interesting to see what happens this winter,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson’s friends have taken cuttings from the willow and planted them, and several are growing quite well. Stevenson is waiting before she replants a part of the tree.

“I haven’t yet because the original is still alive and so I still have an opportunity to take cuttings,” she said.

For years the willow has been enjoyed by many floating the river and served as a gathering place and a spot for small concerts Stevenson hosted in her backyard.

“The tree belongs to all of Bend,” Stevenson said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7820, tshorack@bendbulletin.com