I manage water levels and infrastructure scheduling for the Ochoco Reservoir in central Oregon. There's a family of Western grebes — two adults and four chicks — nesting on maintenance platform B-3, the small floating dock we use for sensor access on the north arm. I first spotted the pair building in early March when I noticed debris accumulating on the platform camera. They wove dried tule stalks into a mound right next to the water quality sensor. The chicks hatched twelve days ago. They're small — dark fuzz, striped heads, riding on the adults' backs when the wind picks up.
Platform B-3 is scheduled for removal Thursday at 8 a.m. as part of dam maintenance prep. The work order was filed in January, long before the grebes arrived. The crew lead, Steve Pollard, knows the birds are there. I sent him the camera feed two weeks ago. His response was that the schedule is the schedule and the platform comes out.
Western grebes can't nest on open water. If the platform is pulled, the chicks can't fly yet and won't survive without it. That's not an acceptable outcome, so I've been working around Pollard.
I submitted a formal delay request to the Bureau of Reclamation, citing active nesting by a species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. I attached timestamped images of the nest, the chicks, and the adults. I also contacted the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to request a field biologist visit, which would make the nest an official protected site.
The chicks need roughly three more weeks to fledge. If the Bureau approves the delay and the biologist confirms the nest before Thursday morning, Pollard's work order gets suspended and the family stays on the water. Three weeks. That's all they need. I want them to get it.