By Mary Owen
The concerns of the people who depend upon Detroit Lake, whether for water supply, recreation or business vitality appear to have been heard loud and clear.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently released a draft of the Environmental Impact Study that identifies the preferred alternative for construction of the Detroit Dam & Lake Fish Ladder. The corps recommended course of action: build “in the wet”.
The alternative calls for the Corps to continue to operate the dam normally, and build underwater, eliminating the need to “drawdown” water levels in Detroit Lake below normal operations.
“The NEPA process works,” said Jeff Ament, project manager. “When we started scoping a year and a half ago, we hadn’t realized all the impacts to downstream water users.”
The analysis revealed that a two-year drawdown would have over $200 million in regional impacts, which led to the Corps’ recommendation.
“From the standpoint of what the Corps was originally proposing, having to take the lake down for two years, this is certainly a better option,” said Marion County Commissioner Keven Cameron. “It’s a step toward the final decision that’s in the right direction.”
Cameron said the EVI study has “obviously made a difference from where they were to where they are.
“The process seems to be working,” he said. “They are getting all the right information and making adjustments.”
The Detroit Dam project came on the heels of a listing of several species under the Endangered Species Act that required the Corps to perform an assessment of the Willamette Project and its operations’ impact on listed species. Based on the assessment, the National Marine Fisheries Services identified actions to avoid jeopardizing ESA-listed fish in the Willamette basin, including the downstream fish passage at the dam.
The Detroit project proposes to provide downstream juvenile fish passage for Upper Willamette River Chinook and temperature control at Detroit Dam, which has received mixed reviews. Concerns were made by congressional representatives about the potential impact the project could have on the area’s water quality. Concerns voiced by citizens, city officials and business owners included impact on local economies.
Now that the EIS draft has been released, a public meeting has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on June 6 at the Stayton Community Center to give people a chance to hear about the Corps findings.
The “in the wet” option comes with a potential price tag of $500 million, almost twice that of the drawdown options originally presented.
“We will go through our analysis, what our findings were,” Ament said. “Nothing will be final until the record of decision is signed by the division commander. We’re shooting for January 2020.”
Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to meet with project team members and ask questions, Ament said.
“We are pleased the Corps has chosen an alternative, that if and when implemented, would reduce the impact to health and safety of the people downstream who need water,” Cameron said. “And obviously, there would be less economic impact.”
To review the report, visit www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Willamette/Detroit/
fish-passage.
