Klamath Heritage: Placement of Eagle Perch, 1994

Klamath County Museum’s Photo of the Week for Nov. 24, 2019, shows a ponderosa pine tree being lowered into place along the western shore of Lake Ewauna on Nov. 30, 1994.

The tree, which remains in place to this day 25 years later, was designed to serve as a perch for bald eagles that frequent the lake, particularly in winter months. The tree took the place of a tripod made of power poles that had been erected in 1971. The tripod, for the most part, had failed to attract eagles. The tripod was erected after a cluster of cottonwood trees along the lakeshore died.

This clipping from the Herald and News shows the 82-foot-tall tree being carried by a helicopter operated by Erickson Air Crane Co. of Central Point, which was working a logging job for Weyerhaeuser Co. at the time. Weyco donated the tree and paid for a portion of the helicopter time to fly the tree into town from the woods west of Klamath Falls. Erickson donated part of the helicopter time for the project.

Traffic on Highway 97 was stopped while the tree was fastened to a set of poles that had been placed in the ground as a support. An eagle was spotted on the tree just a few hours after the work crews left.

Press release provided from the Klamath County Museum.