News Release
| Release Number: | 01-170 |
| Dated: | 12/21/2001 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a draft environmental assessment (EA) addressing the impacts associated with a proposed aquatic ecosystem restoration project in the city of Eugene along the Willamette River.
The project is designed to create and improve fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality at the Eugene Delta Ponds area by providing a year-round connection for free-flowing water between the Willamette River and the ponds. The area is an abandoned sand and gravel mining site. The work would primarily benefit spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead that use the mainstem Willamette River for migration and rearing. The National Marine Fisheries Service listed both species in March 1999 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Most of the ponds are in an area bordered by Belt Line Road to the north, Goodpasture Island Road to the west, Valley River Drive to the south and Delta Highway/Oakway Road to the east. Two of the ponds are northeast of Delta Highway.
The Corps will achieve restoration objectives by placing culverts under existing levees and between the ponds to either connect ponds to each other or with the Willamette River, depending on location. Some excavation work and invasive plant removal and revegetation with native species also will be done. All construction work would be done during the in-water work period from June 1 through Oct. 31. While no threatened or endangered species would be adversely impacted over the long term, turbidity caused by construction could have minor effects on salmon that may be present in the ponds.
For a copy of the Corps' Public Notice # CENWP-PM-E-01-13 and draft environmental assessment, which describes the proposed project in detail, please write to District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District, Portland, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, Oregon 97208-2946, or call Keith Gordon, Environmental Resource Branch, (503) 808-4770. Written comments must be postmarked by Jan. 10, 2002, and include the public notice number, title and date. The Corps also is requesting input from federal, state and local agencies.