BURNS – Travelers headed toward the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, or the variety of recreational sites in the Steens Mountain area, are probably familiar with the long, thin sliver of Oregon Highway 205, known as the Narrows.

Built upon a jetty that separates Malheur and Harney lakes, two seasonal bodies of water currently dried up to little more than puddles, the straight section of highway extends for what appears to be much longer than its actual length of 10 miles. The unique area also is home to a variety of migratory birds, especially in the winter and spring seasons.

While the area provides a familiar landmark to motorists and a haven to birds, its limited width and lack of shoulders can be a safety hazard. Motorists experiencing vehicle breakdowns are hard-pressed to find a safe place to pull over and birdwatch or photograph the various wildlife species.

“When the water is high, there are a lot of birds along this area. We have had people stop their vehicles right in the road. Some have even set up camera tripods in the oncoming travel lane,” said Burns ODOT Transportation Maintenance Manager Robert Wright.

Building a turnout and safe viewing area along the narrows has been a long-standing goal according to Chad Karges, Deputy Project Leader for the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Encompassing 186,000 acres of land that includes Harney and Malheur lakes and Krumbo Reservoir, the refuge did not have the time or funds to tackle the task on their own. These concerns prompted the Oregon Department of Transportation, a private group known as the Malheur Wildlife Associates, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County, the City of Burns and other groups to work together in building a 250-foot long by 30-foot wide viewing and parking area along the highway.

Construction at the recently completed viewing area involved securing permits, moving boulders to build the rock retaining wall, layering geotex material and hauling in fill. Installation of interpretive signs sponsored by the Harney County Chamber of Commerce, John Scharf Migratory Bird Festival, the Burns Paiute Tribe and others, will be performed at a later date.