News Release
| Release Number: | 01-060 |
| Dated: | 5/2/2001 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore. --Water regulators from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will temporarily reduce flows in Willow Creek for two days next week to facilitate an educational opportunity for Morrow County students.
Because the reduced flows will affect irrigators who have pumps in the creek, the decision was made in close cooperation with the Oregon Department of Water Resources (OWRD). OWRD staff members met with local irrigators to warn them of this change.
On the night of Tuesday, May 8, the Corps will significantly reduce releases from Willow Creek Dam, possibly down to 10 cubic feet per second (cfs), from the current 50 cfs. On the night of Thursday, May 10, the Corps will return water releases to 50 cfs. This action is in response to a Morrow County request to reduce flows in Willow Creek to provide a safer venue for grade school and high school students participating in the Watershed Field Day events on May 9-10. Some of the events will include streambank stabilization and restoration activities, water sampling and macro-invertebrate sampling and identification.
The Corps is committed to serving its customers, the people of Oregon and Washington. In addition to the Willow Creek flood damage reduction project, Corps projects in the Columbia, Willamette and Rogue river basins are operated to serve multiple purposes: flood damage reduction, irrigation, fish and wildlife, navigation, hydropower, water supply, water quality, recreation and environmental management and restoration. The Corps' goal is to perform its missions to support an effective balance of these competing needs to serve the region and its people.