Foster Reservoir spring refill altered

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alerts boaters and other users of Foster Reservoir near Sweet Home, Ore., that the reservoir’s normal spring refill schedule will change slightly this year to accommodate ongoing fish passage research.

The Corps will maintain the reservoir at an elevation of 616 feet above sea level for the entire months of March and April, and then start refilling to its summer elevation at the beginning of May.

The Corps’ spring operation at Foster Reservoir for the past 30 years has been to start refill Feb. 1 from its winter elevation of 613 feet, lower the reservoir to 616 feet from mid-April to mid-May for juvenile fish passage, then refill to its summer elevation in time for Memorial Day weekend.

These operations are part of a year-long study that is helping the Corps determine how to better operate Foster Dam to improve the survival of spring Chinook salmon, winter steelhead and other fish species in the South Santiam River Basin. The study is collecting information about fish behavior, density and movement in the reservoir, and fish passage through the dam.