Time and time again we've seen wildfires devastate entire communities .  This year, the Echo Mountain Fire Complex has impacted families in Otis, Lincoln City, Neotsu, and Rose Lodge. The worst of this is in Otis with Panther Creek, Echo Mountain, and portions of the North Bank virtually leveled. These are neighborhoods of full time residents who live and work in our local area.

If you have a home in our neighborhood whether it be a full-time, or vacation, chances are you know someone who lives in these affected areas.  If you shop in a local supermarket, order food from a restaurant, operate a vacation rental, enjoy heat, power, internet, water, garbage service or hire a local contractor; chances are you know someone who lives in these affected areas.  These are the people that help us every day, and make Lincoln City such a great place to live, work and play. These are the people who desperately need our help to make it through a very tough time.

The Lincoln City: Fires of 2020 Facebook Group has created a list of victims of the Echo Mountain Fire and links to various fundraising efforts for individuals and families. Please click on the button below to review the list.  If you recognized a name follow the hyperlink to their individual fundraising page and make a donation.  Most common methods being employed are GoFundMe, Facebook Fundraising, and Venmo.  If you don’t recognize a name pick someone or pick a few and give them a hand. Please share the link on your Facebook or other social media of your choice. The list is dynamic, members of the FB Group are adding to the list all the time. 

Thank you in advance for your support in this effort. 

What a wild few days it has been.  The entirety of our neighborhood was put under some sort of evacuation order.  Portions of the West side of the lake were put at Level 2 and the balance of us were given the “Go Now” order.  Currently all of the East side and Neotsu remain under a Level 2 designation.  

It remains to be verified but it appears that no homes were lost due to fire in the Devils Lake neighborhood.  The fire made it to the shores of Devils Lake in Horseshoe Bay, burning a vacant lot but sparing the houses on either side.  Embers spark a couple of fires at the East end of Neotsu Dr torching an arborvitae hedge as well as one tree which fell into the road rather than the nearby house.

Sadly, the fire’s western boundary pushed its way right to the edge of the neighborhood near NE 50th and East Devils Lake Drive (EDLD). The homes on NE 50th and NE Highland Rd have substantial damage or are a complete loss.  The carnage you see now on EDLD pales by what you will find just up the hill. 

Last fall we introduced you to Eelgrass an aquatic plant known otherwise as Vallisneria americana. The annual growth on this plant becomes visible beginning late June to early July. By late July elgrass clumps are at times in conflict with our use of the lake.  Understandably people are looking online for solutions and have been trying various options around the lake.

One of these options could harm the lake more than it helps. Harvesting eelgrass which includes mowing, raking or uprooting, the plant will propagate eelgrass over a much greater area, and in a greatly reduced time-frame.  Harvesting eelgrass and letting some or worse yet all of the plant material cut or uprooted to escape accelerates eelgrass’ primary method of propagation. During the summer months these bits of eelgrass make landfall along the Eastern shore where they take root and begin to grow.  Come fall the winds will shift steering the grass right back toward the Western shore.  Get my drift?  For this reason,

We would ask homeowners to refrain from attempting to harvest the eelgrass by cutting, raking, or uprooting, until better options can be identified.

I apologize that this article falls short in providing any alternative to harvesting.  We felt it important to get this request out during the summer season.  We will try to provide more information in future articles related to eelgrass.  It’s important to remember that eelgrass will be a part of a healthy Devils Lake, its seeds, roots and leaves are consumed by ducks and other waterfowl; while its dense underwater structures provide an excellent habitat for invertebrates and fish.  With proper management we will have a more properly balanced lake ecosystem and a healthier lake for all.

The Devils Lake Neighborhood Association has expanded its board to seven.  Therefore, we're looking for three talented and conscientious volunteer board members to lead and strengthen our activities which benefit Devils Lake and our community. If you can contribute some of your time, thoughtfulness, and leadership one evening a quarter, and are interested in exploring this opportunity, call Mitchell Moore at 503 381-4818 to find out whether this volunteer opportunity is right for you.

The Devils Lake Neighborhood Association serves as a voice for the community, surrounding Devils Lake. The non-profit DLNA is open to all residents and businesses within its boundaries which are generally defined as all properties bounded by East and West Devils Lake Roads and Highway 101 on each end.  (See Area Map). In order to be eligible to serve on the DLNA board you must be a resident or a person who owns residential property within the DLNA boundary; or be a designated representative of a business located within the area.

In a normal year, we would be hosting the Tenth Annual Potluck on the Point.  This year the potluck has become another victim of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Lincoln County is in modified phase 1 with groups limited to 10 people. That's simply not going to work leaving us no other option but to cancel the event for 2020.  Please join us next year, (always the first Saturday of August) to enjoy an evening with your neighbors and friends.

We thank the following two outstanding volunteers for their service to our Board of Directors. Each has served on our Board since the inception of the Devils Lake Neighborhood Association. They have each played instrumental roles in guiding our mission with their insights and unique expertise. We are grateful for their devotion to Devils Lake and the combined hours they gave to the Devils Lake Neighborhood Association (DLNA).

Mark Christie

Mark Christie is a remarkable community servant. I have seen him in a variety of local, county, and state settings where he always operates with sound appreciation for common sense decision-making and the wise use of valuable community resources. Mark successfully provided oversight as we addressed annual algae blooms, protection of our water right, and the creation of several fun recreational events. As a Board Chair in the Devils Lake Neighborhood Association, he proved to be a great team player and a skillful listener honoring the many voices of our community. He is moving away from our lake taking up full time residency in Central Oregon. We wish him well.

Steve Brown

Steve Brown has had a varied career in retail management and marketing and ownership, most recently the owner operator of the Lincoln City Liquor Outlet and the Battle Creek Liquor Outlet. Steve has been a board member of the DLNA since its inception.

Steve has an in-depth knowledge of county and local government issues related to Devils Lake. He continues actively working toward the benefit of the lake as a member of the DLWID Special Projects Committee, DLWID budget committee and as a Board member of the Devils Lake Water Improvement District.  We look forward to working with him those capacities in the future.

Each year residents of Lincoln City and visitors from around the state come to Devils Lake to enjoy our July fireworks display and boat parade.  The Devils Lake Neighborhood Association has been the proud sponsor of these events for the past six years. Our show has always been coordinated with the City of Lincoln City's show in Taft.  Last week the City cancelled its show on July 4th due to the Coronavirus crisis and this week the DLNA Board announced that it was postponing the 3rd of July Fireworks display and Boat Parade to a future date, likely July 3rd 2021.

“It is with deep regret, we have had to make this decision," said Mark Christie, president of Devils Lake Neighborhood Association, in a statement. "This is one of our favorite community events. We look forward to coming together next year for the Independence Day celebration.”  To that end, we are accepting donations if you wish to contribute in advance to our 2021 event, simply click here to help ensure a fantastic event for next year.

The DLNA Fireworks display is not the only local summer celebration that has been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. The Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival,  and Pixiefest both originally planned for June 27 and 28, were canceled or postponed in April due to the coronavirus.  As Oregon begins to return to normal, we wish you all well and hope you have a wonderful summer on Devils Lake.

Believe it or not we're well on our way in our planning efforts for next year's Independence Week activities.  As our 2020 planning committee begins to formulate, we are asking for your participation by completing a short survey. 

The Devils Lake Neighborhood Association is working with Explore Lincoln City (formally the Visitors and Convention Bureau) to determine the impact of the Fourth of July in Lincoln City.  To that end we have created a brief survey to learn more about the DLNA Fireworks Display as well as the Boat Parade on Devils Lake.  Please help us by clicking on the button below and completing our simple (9) question survey.  Please feel free to express any thoughts you may have at the end of the survey.  Thank you in advance for your assistance.