News Release
| Release Number: | 02-069 |
| Dated: | 4/19/2002 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-Recent flood prevention measures, temporary turbidity increases and other issues related to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' management of its Willamette Valley reservoirs will be discussed at a series of public meetings next week.
The first meeting will be at 7 p.m. on April 23 in Eugene at the Eugene City Council Chambers, 777 Pearl Street. Please note: this is a change from the location announced earlier. On April 24, a meeting in Sweet Home begins at 7 p.m. in the Sweet Home High School auditorium, 1641 Long Street. At 1 p.m. on April 25, a meeting will be held in Salem at the Mission Mill Museum in The Dye House, 1313 Mill Street, S.E. The last meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on April 25 in Detroit in the Charter School gym, 345 Santiam Avenue.
When more than 2 inches of rain fell in the Willamette Valley last weekend, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water regulators were faced with a pleasant task: holding back the storm water to prevent downstream flooding.
"We're basically in flood damage reduction operations right now," said Matt Rea, Corps coordinator for the Willamette Valley, explaining that reservoir levels exceeded authorized elevations for this time of year. Within a couple of days, however, Rea said regulators will have the water levels back down to their authorized levels and climbing slowly at the scheduled rates.
The heavy rainfall also increased levels of turbidity in the reservoirs, which is not uncommon. The good news is that the turbidity-or lack of water clarity--found at most of the reservoirs is temporary and is an esthetic problem with no long-term impacts on fish.
The turbidity is most noticeable at Cougar Reservoir on the South Fork of the McKenzie River about 42 miles east of Eugene. The reservoir is being drawn down to allow construction of a multi-port intake tower so that the Corps can draw water from differing depths in the reservoir, mixing it to the optimum water temperature for release below the dam. The changes will improve river conditions for salmon and resident fish in the South Fork McKenzie and McKenzie rivers, matching natural conditions needed by the fish.
Because of the drawdown, stream sediments that have accumulated since the reservoir was constructed are being exposed and eroding into the pool; the heavy rains increased this condition. Since the turbidity at Cougar most likely will remain throughout the three-year construction period, the Corps is coordinating with the Eugene Water and Electric Board to ensure there are no problems associated with EWEB's water treatment plant.
The Corps coordinates a delicate balancing act when managing its multiple purpose projects. In the summer, two of the most prevalent competing needs are recreation and water quality. "Our goal is to continue to operate the projects in the Willamette Basin in a balanced manner to address the multiple purposes for which they were authorized," Rea said.
Real time data about each of the Willamette Valley reservoirs can be viewed on the Corps' Internet site at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pa/river.htm.