Eugene, Ore. — Windy Peak Road in Lane County is closed due to a landslide. The landslide is encroaching on the road, which is also known as BLM Road 17-8-3.1. The slide has deposited sediment on the road, eroded the road’s surface, and scoured a channel to Greenleaf Creek.
Bureau of Land Management officials have placed warning signs blocking vehicle traffic where pavement ends at the Deadwood Creek entrance, and hazard flagging is posted around the slide.
BLM engineers are still exploring options for road repair and slope stabilization. The BLM will close the road for the next two years to protect public safety and protect the fragile slope. While Windy Peak Road is unpassable, alternate routes are accessible.
BLM officials first identified the slide while assessing the area following the January 2024 ice storm. While the exact cause for the slide is unknown, it is likely that a shallow, fast-moving debris flow was triggered by ice-tipped trees. Ongoing erosion is occurring in the upper reaches of the slide near the damaged road.
Landslides are common throughout the Coast Range due to the underlying geology. In this location, shallow soils overlay hard, fractured sandstone. The difference in permeability makes the surface susceptible to slides. Similar geologic processes occurred in the past, such as the landslides that created Triangle Lake, and in the surrounding area, such as the ongoing slow-moving landslide at Lamb creek.
Once the weather dries out, the soil is expected to stabilize for the season, but movement may be triggered over the coming years during prolonged wet conditions.
The official closure order is posted on the BLM ePlanning website: eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/admin/project/2034013/510
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