Continued Work with the US Army Corp of Engineers
Over the course of the last 18 months I have shared information about the US Army Corp of Engineers and the potential draining of Detroit Lake. All the stakeholders have come to realize this is a complicated and highly charged issue as it relates to the lively hood of the hundreds of thousands who live and work in the mid-valley.
We continue to meet with the Corp as they work on this issue. This past week Colonel Dorf of the US Army and top officials from the Willamette Army Crop Dam Systems gave a brief history lesson of their service to the region in protecting us downstream from flooding that took place before these dams were put in place over 60 years ago. If you have ever seen photos of the Willamette Valley prior to the dam construction, you would see year after year the flood waters covering great percentages of the valley floor. We are grateful to them for putting in place our present-day dam system.
During the creation of the dam system some of the richest agricultural soil in the world was made available for a wide production of food and seed to literally millions of people. All this to say that the massive flooding that plagued our region was curbed by the good work of the Army Corp of Engineers. They continue to work on a solution for the water mixing tower and fish collection project that will meet the needs of all stakeholders. We will soon have another chance to review their challenging and creative design.
My long-time involvement with the North Santiam River Canyon has given me a good understanding of the people that live there and the issues that impact their health and quality of life. In the course of this most recent issue I have been educated on the Detroit and Big Cliff Dams and their impact on flood control, water quality and quantity for domestic water supplies, irrigation, fish, and the recreation economy in the region.
This past week the individuals in the canyon referred the Statesman Journal to me to pen an opinion piece on the Army Corps plans to install a water mixing tower and fish collection screen behind Detroit dam. I have included it in this week’s newsletter. Please take a look. Guest Op 08 21 18. Remember I am always open to your thoughts and ideas.
Sincerely,
August 25, 2018
