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49-712: The East Fork South Fork McKenzie River is a tributary of the South Fork McKenzie River in Lane County in the U.S. state of Oregon . It begins in and passes through part of the Willamette National Forest of the Cascade Range . Flowing generally northwest along the base of Sawtooth Ridge, it empties into Cougar Reservoir on the South Fork McKenzie River , about 5 miles (8 km) upstream of that stream's mouth on

98-535: A day-use pass that can be paid for on-site. Whitewater enthusiasts sometimes run all or part of an 8.5-mile (13.7 km) stretch of the river from above French Pete Campground to Cougar Reservoir. Rapids vary from class 3 to 5 on the International Scale of River Difficulty . Oregon Route 126 Oregon OR 126 ( OR 126 ) is a 204.63-mile-long (329.32 km) state highway that connects coastal, western , and central parts of

147-606: A difficult stretch of the upper river. The South Fork McKenzie River begins in the Mink Lake Basin of the Cascade Range at an elevation of about 4,600 feet (1,400 m) above sea level. Lakes near the river's headwaters include Mink, Porky, Mud, Plumb, Goose, and Corner, as well as many smaller water bodies. Flowing west through the Three Sisters Wilderness of the Willamette National Forest ,

196-701: A no-build alternative to the Federal Highway Administration . Transportation planners argued that the new route is necessary to fight traffic congestion in Eugene and its western suburbs and that the highway would facilitate traffic and growth in the year 2025. Opponents to the parkway have several reasons for their objection: On June 18 and 19, 2001, the City of Eugene, Lane County, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT),

245-484: A pair of one-way streets : West 7th Avenue for eastbound traffic and West 6th Avenue for westbound traffic. At a junction with Washington and Jefferson streets, OR 126 turns north onto a freeway, which is designated as Interstate 105 (I-105). In January 2016, the Oregon Legislature passed SB 5, designating OR 126 between Florence and Eugene as " William Tebeau Memorial Highway ," named after

294-505: A pioneering ODOT engineer. At the junction with Washington and Jefferson streets in downtown Eugene lies the western terminus of Eugene-Springfield Highway No. 227 , an east-west freeway through the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area. OR 126 is routed along this freeway for its entire length, and I-105 is routed along the first 3.5 miles (5.6 km) until the interchange with I-5 . The bridge and viaduct carrying

343-417: A scaled-down version. The mothballed West Eugene Parkway, a non-freeway route on a similar alignment, was seen by supporters and critics alike as an implementation of these plans. The West Eugene Parkway , or WEP, was a proposed re-alignment of OR 126 through the western parts of Eugene and its suburbs. OR 126 runs through west Eugene along several surface streets , including West 11th Avenue, which

392-424: Is a multipurpose United States Army Corps of Engineers project built in 1963 to generate hydroelectricity and limit flooding. The watershed offers many opportunities for recreation, including fishing, swimming, hiking, and camping. Motorized boating is allowed on Cougar Reservoir, which is used for waterskiing . A popular hot springs is along a tributary near the reservoir. Whitewater enthusiasts sometimes run

441-428: Is now OR 36 ; the original route of US 28 west of Brickerville is no longer on the state highway system. In 1972, US 126 was eliminated and OR 126 through the Eugene-Springfield area was routed onto a newly constructed freeway through north and east Springfield, and then the older I-105 at Eugene. The portions of the former US 126 rolling through downtown Springfield and Eugene were designated as

490-476: Is popular on the upper river and its tributaries. Fish on the upper river are numerous but relatively small, averaging 8 to 11 inches (20 to 28 cm). Terwilliger Hot Springs , near the confluence of Rider Creek and the South Fork, offers six clothing-optional soaking pools in sight of a waterfall and "a spectacular rock formation". The popular hot springs, with a parking lot off Forest Road 19, requires

539-493: Is well known for its traffic problems. The proposed route, a limited-access expressway with some at-grade intersections and one interchange, would have run north of the current West 11th alignment, terminating at the western terminus of the Sixth-Seventh Avenue couplet carrying OR 99 through west Eugene. The project proved to be highly controversial. In July 2006, ODOT suspended work on it, and recommended

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588-542: Is well known in the Eugene area for traffic problems. Several projects have been proposed to deal with this; however, none has met with community approval. A new proposed alignment of OR 126, the West Eugene Parkway is being planned by transportation authorities (but is facing fierce opposition from activists opposed to the parkway). The proposed parkway, a limited-access expressway with some at-grade intersections and some interchanges, would run north of

637-542: The McKenzie River . The East Fork, which has no named tributaries, runs along the north edge of the Three Sisters Wilderness . East Fork Trail 3308 follows the stream for much of its length, crossing it twice on footbridges. South Fork McKenzie River About 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from the South Fork mouth , Cougar Dam impounds water from the river to create Cougar Reservoir . It

686-729: The Santiam Highway ( US 20 ) to the north. US 126 was re-routed over the cutoff and ran concurrently with US 20 east over the Cascades to Sisters, where it resumes its original course. The stretch of the McKenzie Highway between Belknap Springs and Sisters is now designated as OR 242 . OR 242 is primarily a scenic route and is not plowed in wintertime. Currently, the route of Oregon OR 126 through western Eugene runs along several surface streets , most notably including West 11th Avenue. This route

735-456: The gauge , the river enters Cougar Reservoir, receiving Ridge Creek from the left and passing Cougar Crossing Campground, which is on the right. Here the river passes under Forest Road 19, which continues to parallel the South Fork but along its left bank. Shortly thereafter, Smith Creek enters from the right near Sunnyside Campground, and then Slide Creek enters from the right near Slide Creek Campground and its boat ramp. Rider Creek enters from

784-544: The Cascade Range. It turns north at Belknap Springs and follows the Clear Lake–Belknap Springs Highway No. 215 , passing the eponymous Clear Lake . The highway merges with US 20 near Crescent Mountain and begins a concurrency that continues through Santiam Junction (the terminus of OR 22 ) and Sisters as Santiam Highway No. 16 . OR 242 is an alternative route between Belknap Springs and Sisters that travels between Mount Washington and

833-789: The Delta Campground, which is on its right, and entering the McKenzie River main stem about 59.5 miles (95.8 km) from its confluence with the Willamette River. Fishing, camping, hiking, swimming, and boating are among the forms of recreation pursued in the South Fork McKenzie River watershed. Cougar Reservoir is used for motorized boating, fishing, swimming, and waterskiing . The United States Forest Service maintains three campgrounds—Cougar Crossing, Slide Creek, and Sunnyside—near

882-539: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), among others, held a two-day "West Eugene Charrette " to discuss the future of the project. Most participants were supporters of the highway, but at the end of the conference agreed to select the "no-build" option. This consensus was not implemented, although ODOT and FHWA continued to spend millions, for a time, on

931-584: The OR ;126 business route. The place where OR 126 and its predecessors cross the Cascades has changed over the years. Originally, the highway was routed over McKenzie Pass , a high mountainous route that frequently was closed in winter due to poor road conditions. In 1962, the Clear Lake Cutoff was constructed between Clear Lake and Belknap Springs , connecting the McKenzie Highway to

980-559: The Prineville-Eugene section of the former U.S. Route, and the Mapleton-Florence section of OR 36, as OR 126. The routes of OR 126 and its predecessors have changed numerous times over the years. The original route of US 28 from Florence to Eugene ran through Junction City , and overlapped US 99 (now OR 99 ) from there south to Eugene. The route between Junction City and Brickerville

1029-754: The Three Sisters. East of Sisters, OR 126 splits from US 20 (which turns southeast towards Bend ) and continues east onto the Sisters-Redmond Highway and resumes its designation as McKenzie Highway No. 15 . The highway crosses Deschutes River and travels through Redmond , where it is briefly concurrent with US 97 's bypass of the city. OR 126 travels southeast on Ochoco Highway No. 41 from Redmond, passing its commercial airport , to reach its eastern terminus at U.S. Route 26 (US 26) in Prineville . In 1926,

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1078-649: The U.S. state of Oregon . A short freeway section of OR 126 in Eugene and Springfield is concurrent with Interstate 105 ( I-105 ). The western terminus of OR 126 is in Florence at a junction with US 101 , the main north–south route along the Oregon Coast. The junction is located north of downtown Florence near the municipal airport and the mouth of the Siuslaw River , which empties into

1127-530: The WEP was $ 88 million in 2001, but a 2004 estimate by local and state governments predicts the cost is really $ 169 million. Few WEP proponents support tax increases to pay for the highway. On October 26, 2005, the Eugene City Council voted 5-4 to withdraw the city's support for the project, although the City of Eugene has continued its agreement with ODOT to assume responsibility for maintaining part of

1176-885: The boundary between the Siuslaw and Willamette river basins. The highway descends into the Willamette Valley and passes through the town of Veneta and along the south shore of the Fern Ridge Reservoir . It also joins a section of the Coos Bay Rail Line as it approaches Eugene . In the western outskirts of Eugene, OR 126 intersects OR 569 , which forms a northern bypass of Eugene. The highway follows Amazon Creek on West 11th Avenue towards downtown Eugene, turning north onto Garfield Street for five blocks. It then becomes concurrent with OR 99 , which travels through downtown Eugene on

1225-636: The city government. An eastern extension to Highway 126 near Springfield was also planned by the state government, but Lane County officials requested a longer route to avoid more of Springfield. The completed Eugene section of I-105 was dedicated by Governor Tom McCall on October 25, 1967, along with improvements to US 126 in Springfield. In 1972, the American Association of State Highway Officials dropped US 126 from its highway system. The state of Oregon promptly redesignated

1274-440: The current West 11th alignment. Transportation planners have argued that the new route is necessary to fight congestion in Eugene and its western suburbs and that the highway would facilitate traffic and growth in the year 2025. Highway opponents note that world petroleum supplies will likely be in decline long before the road would be completed, and therefore modest fixes to existing roads would be sufficient. The Roosevelt Freeway

1323-408: The drawing board). The freeway was designed to solve a longstanding traffic issue in Eugene, the inadequacy of West 11th Avenue (a neighborhood arterial) to handle long-haul and commuter traffic. Many commuters, as well as state transportation officials, strongly desired to build the freeway. Plans for the freeway were completed in the mid-1970s, and the state of Oregon had begun buying up property for

1372-399: The environmental impact statement. Supporters, and the government agencies involved in the planning of the project, pointed to the fact that the parkway proposal has been approved by city voters in two referendum elections, most recently in 2001. Opponents note that the election was 51 to 49, and that proponents claimed "The Money Is There" when selling the project. The official price tag for

1421-687: The first 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of I-105 are sometimes known as the Washington-Jefferson Street Bridge. After crossing the Williamette River , passing two exits, and entering Springfield, I-105 ends at an interchange with I-5 , and OR 126 continues east then turning south, with the freeway terminating at Main Street ( OR 126 Business ) in the Thurston neighborhood of the city's east end. In December 2011

1470-622: The late 1950s and incorporated into the Interstate Highway System as I-105. Initial plans called for its route to follow Q Street from Coburg Road in Eugene (near the Delta Highway) to Mill Street in northern Springfield, with further extensions at both ends. The freeway would reach Downtown Eugene by following the Washington and Jefferson Street Bridge over the Willamette River, which had already been planned by

1519-411: The left and Trail and Rebel creeks from the right. Hardy and Balm creeks enter from the left about 12 miles (19 km) from the mouth. Below this, the river reaches French Pete Campground, which is on the right, and receives Horn and Penny creeks from the left before arriving at a United States Geological Survey stream gauge near the mouth of Tipsoo Creek, at about RM 10 (RK 16). Just beyond

East Fork South Fork McKenzie River - Misplaced Pages Continue

1568-497: The left at RM 8 (RK 13), and Boone Creek enters from the left a fraction of a mile later. In the next stretch of the reservoir, Annie and Basalt creeks enter from the left and Walker Creek from the right before the river receives the East Fork South Fork McKenzie River from the right about 5 miles (8 km) from the South Fork mouth. A fraction of a mile below this, Rush Creek enters from

1617-438: The left, and the river reaches Cougar Dam and power plant. Another stream gauge is beyond the dam, at about RM 4 (RK 6). Along this stretch, a county road linking the dam to Oregon Route 126 is on the river's right bank, while Forest Road 19 is on the left. In its last stretch, the river passes again under Forest Road 19, which merges with the dam road. The South Fork turns west and meanders another mile or so, passing

1666-743: The nearby Pacific Ocean . OR 126 travels east on the Florence-Eugene Highway No. 62 (see Oregon highways and routes ), which follows the Siuslaw River and the Coos Bay Rail Line out of Florence and into the Suislaw National Forest and the foothills of the Coast Range . The highway turns north along a bend in the river to reach Mapleton , where it intersects OR 36 and leaves

1715-551: The new route the Eugene-Mapleton Highway , but did not assign it a route number until 1964, when it became OR 126. Highway authorities agreed to the duplication as a temporary one, as US 126 would soon disappear under the ongoing elimination of three-digit U.S. Routes lying entirely within one state. A freeway bypass of OR 126 in Downtown Eugene, named the Q Street Freeway, was planned in

1764-469: The reservoir, with opportunities for hiking and picnicking as well as camping. Other campgrounds in the general vicinity of the reservoir include French Pete and Delta. Cougar Reservoir supports populations of stocked rainbow trout and stocked landlocked Chinook salmon as well as naturally reproducing cutthroat trout . The lake also supports bull trout , but it is not legal to catch and keep them. Catch-and-release fishing for cutthroat and bull trout

1813-577: The right-of-way. A ramp stub currently exists on I-105, where the interchange with the Roosevelt Freeway would have been. However, the freeway proved to be unpopular with Eugene residents, due to its impact on existing neighborhoods and riverfront access. In 1978, the so-called "T-2000" transportation plan was adopted, which effectively killed the Roosevelt Freeway by removing it from the plan's list of transportation projects. The plan did call for an east–west corridor through west Eugene, but for

1862-419: The river along its right bank, and Roaring River enters from the left. Over the next stretch, Fir and Cascade creeks enter from the right. The Homestead Campground is on the right at about RM 18 (RK 29), and here the river turns northwest and then north. Augusta Creek enters from the left about 2 miles (3 km) later at Dutch Oven Campground. Over the next stretch, Starr and Blue creeks enter from

1911-485: The river and railroad for Knowles Creek. OR 126 continues east along the creek to the Ralph A. Petersen Tunnel, a 1,450-foot (440 m) long tunnel that opened in 1957. From the tunnel, the highway descends from the mountains along Turner Creek to briefly rejoin the Siuslaw River and the Coos Bay Rail Line. OR 126 and the railroad split from the river to follow Wildcat Creek northeast to Cougar Pass, which marks

1960-438: The river receives Elk Creek from the left at river mile (RM) 25 or river kilometer (RK) 40. About 2 miles (3 km) further downstream, the river leaves the wilderness. The river passes Frissel Crossing Campground, which is on the left , about 22 miles (35 km) from the mouth. Slightly downstream of the campground, the South Fork passes under Forest Road  19 (Aufderheide Drive), which then runs parallel to

2009-485: The road. The city also owns the property for the parkway that has not yet been transferred to the BLM nature preserve for conservation and restoration. In July 2006, ODOT withdrew its support of the project, effectively stopping further progress. OR 126 Business is a state business route of OR 126 that travels for 6.64 miles (10.69 km) through the central districts of Eugene and Springfield . It also forms

East Fork South Fork McKenzie River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2058-412: The route between Florence and Ontario was designated as US 28 . The Junction City-Florence section of the highway ran roughly along what are now OR 36 and OR 126. In 1937, the same year a new US 99 alignment between Eugene and Junction City opened, US 28 was truncated and its western terminus moved to Glenwood (between Eugene and Springfield). On February 1, 1952, US 28

2107-587: The section of highway from the Washington-Jefferson Street Bridge to Springfield was renamed Officer Chris Kilcullen Memorial Highway to commemorate the fallen Eugene Police Department officer who was fatally wounded while conducting a traffic stop on the highway in April 2011. OR 126 continues east as McKenzie Highway No. 15 and the McKenzie River Scenic Byway , flanking the McKenzie River for most of its length from Springfield into

2156-531: The south shore of the Willamette River from the northern edge of the University of Oregon campus. Past the university campus and surrounding business district, Business OR 126 and OR 99 split. OR 99 joins southbound I-5, while OR 126 continues eastbound through the community of Glenwood. It then crosses the Willamette River and enters the city of Springfield. Business OR 126 continues east through downtown Springfield, eventually rejoining

2205-715: The westernmost part of McKenzie Highway No. 15 under Oregon's named highways system. At the western terminus of I-105, OR 126 heads west on Sixth Avenue (cosigned with OR 99). From that same terminus, Business OR 126 heads east, also cosigned with OR 99, along Seventh Avenue. This route then proceeds through Eugene's downtown core and turns south at an interchange near the Ferry Street Bridge . After two blocks, Business OR 126/OR 99 turns east again on East Broadway, which becomes Franklin Boulevard at Alder Street. Franklin Boulevard separates

2254-492: Was a freeway proposed in the 1960s and planned in the 1970s, which would serve as a new alignment of OR 126 through west Eugene. It was cancelled in 1978 due to community opposition . Construction on the parkway was set to begin in 2006 though land-use appeals and lack of funding delayed and ultimately prevented groundbreaking on the project. The Roosevelt Freeway was a proposed freeway alignment of OR 126 through Eugene, Oregon and its western suburbs. The project

2303-606: Was canceled in 1972, largely due to the Oregon freeway revolts . The freeway was proposed to go north of the current OR 126 alignment along West 11th Avenue, Roosevelt Boulevard and the Willamette River near the Whitaker neighborhood, and connect to the current I-105 just south of the Washington-Jefferson Street Bridge. (A proposed eastward extension of the project, the Skinner Butte Freeway , never made it off

2352-491: Was completed. It was primarily funded by the Lane County government with assistance from the federal government, with the goal of bypassing the longer Stagecoach Road. It was proposed as early as the 1930s. The Knowles Creek tunnel was opened to traffic on June 4, 1957, and was later renamed for Ralph A. Petersen, a Lane County commissioner who had lobbied for the highway's construction. The state of Oregon formally named

2401-572: Was eliminated from the United States Numbered Highway System . The highway was redesignated US 26 between the Oregon-Idaho border and Prineville (and then continuing north and west through Portland to Astoria ). The former US 28 section between Prineville and Eugene was then designated U.S. Route 126 . In 1957 the long-awaited direct route between Eugene and the coast, known as "Route F",

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