Water Demand Sparks Potential Reservoir Storage Reallocation

ACROSS OREGON - From The US Army Corps of Engineers: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Oregon Water Resources Department are hosting an open house to inform the public about potential water storage reallocation in the Willamette Valley, Dec. 11, from 3 to 7 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Salem office at 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr.

The Corps is studying this issue because demands on the Valley's water supplies have changed due to increasing populations, development, irrigation and the listing of threatened or endangered fish species. Because of this, Portland District and OWRD are sponsoring a feasibility study to determine if and how to best reallocate reservoir space during the spring and summer months.

This open house is a way for the Corps and OWRD to inform the public about the potential changes and to gather comments on a draft integrated feasibility study report / environmental assessment, which includes a draft finding of no significant impact for the study.

The Corps has prepared these documents for this proposal in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

The documents include a discussion of the need for the reallocation, as well as environmental effects resulting from the reallocation. Click here to review the draft assessment.

One of the primary purposes of the Corps' system of 13 dams and reservoirs in the Willamette River Basin is flood risk management. However, Oregon residents benefit from other purposes of the projects, including hydropower generation and recreation.

The Corps is in the process of determining if a reallocation of water storage could grant municipal and industrial water supply, irrigation and fish and wildlife better access to the stored water.

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