News Release
| Release Number: | 05-026 |
| Dated: | 2/14/2005 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is taking steps to start immediate repairs of Fern Ridge Dam on the Long Tom River.
The Corps will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Meeting and Learning Center at Lane Community College in Eugene, Ore., to discuss the projected repair schedule and the ensuing impacts to the communities surrounding the 64-year-old dam.
“The Corps will work with Congress to execute an aggressive repair strategy with the goal of completing repairs before the start of the 2005/2006 flood damage reduction season in November,” said Corps project manager Mark Dasso. The repair work, estimated to cost between $30 million and $40 million, will begin by early June, Dasso said.
“We have many difficult hurdles to overcome before we meet the goal of a one-season repair,” Dasso said. It is possible repairs will not be completed this year.
The expedited repair schedule means the reservoir could be open for water-based recreation and irrigation by the 2006 recreation season, but it would be nearly empty—possibly drawn down below the mini-mum pool elevation of 353 feet—this summer, Dasso said. The low elevation is necessary to allow sections of the earthfill dam to be removed and stockpiled while the dam’s drain pipe and other features are repaired. During the repair work all inflows will be passed through the dam.
The decision to expeditiously pursue an aggressive repair schedule is being driven by the Corps’ responsibility to protect the integrity of the structure and ensure the safety of the public. In the end, the Corps determined that the risks of flooding downstream or of breaching the dam during a winter storm event were too high, Dasso said. Another significant factor is the need to restore the reservoir to normal operation as soon as possible to provide all the flood damage reduction, irrigation and recreation benefits of the project.
The Corps’ Willamette Valley Project staff will continue to share information with recreation, irrigation and wildlife stakeholder working groups and will pursue solutions to short-term impacts resulting from the drawdown of the Fern Ridge reservoir during construction. In addition, the Corps is considering a range of environmental stewardship projects during this phase of the project’s life, Dasso said.
The Corps is coordinating with state and local government through the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act and other public involvement processes.
More information about the Fern Ridge Dam is posted on the Corps' web site at www.nwp.usace.army.mil. --30--