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US Army Corps of Engineers

Portland District Website

Drought, drawdown at Detroit reservoir: Top 5 questions answered

This summer, visitors to and residents near Detroit Reservoir are noticing lower-than-average water levels.

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A wide-angle, black-and-white historical photograph from 1935 showing the Bonneville Dam during its construction. The vast concrete structure is covered in extensive wooden scaffolding and formwork, with exposed rebar visible throughout. The foreground is a dirt construction site with piles of lumber and materials, while the steep, forested mountains of the Columbia River Gorge rise in the background.

The 1935 Construction of a National Historic Landmark

Bonneville Dam is shown during construction on March 4, 1935. The Bonneville Lock and Dam, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was the first federal lock and dam on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

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Map of Oregon's Rogue River Basin showing real-time water levels for Lost Creek and Applegate reservoirs using teacup-shaped diagrams.

During historically dry year, USACE to hold virtual public meeting about Lost Creek, Applegate reservoir levels

Army water managers will hold a virtual public information meeting July 22 to discuss historically low water levels and the summer forecast for the Rogue River Basin.

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Map of Oregon's Willamette Basin showing the real-time water levels of 13 federal reservoirs using teacup-shaped diagrams.

USACE to discuss low Willamette Valley reservoir levels at virtual public meeting

Water managers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will hold a virtual public information meeting July 23 to share the latest summer water forecast and discuss ongoing drought conditions across the Willamette Valley’s 13 federal reservoirs.

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Detroit Dam, east of Salem, Ore. impounds water from the North Santiam River. Its large storage reservoir allows downstream users to have a consistent amount of water year-round but especially during long, hot summers and droughts. According to public scoping comments from city of Salem officials during a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Draft Environmental Impact Statement (page 246) for downstream fish passage at Detroit Dam, the city’s intake for drinking water needs 750 cubic feet per second to operate (as of August 9, the combined tributaries of the North Santiam and Little North Santiam rivers were providing 413 cubic feet per second of water). (U.S. Army photo by Todd Manny)

USACE Announces Operational Updates for Willamette Valley Dams

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, has finalized its plan for operating the Willamette Valley’s 13 federal dams by executing a Record of Decision (ROD).

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A sailboat uses a lock on the Columbia River.

Motorized recreational boaters needing to pass through the three lower Columbia River dams must follow a lock schedule taking effect May 15. Commercial vessels will continue to lock through upon arrival except during the times specified for recreational vessels.

Summer recreational lock schedule now in effect on Columbia River

Recreational boaters navigating the three lower Columbia River dams—Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day—now have expanded access to pass through the navigation locks for the summer season.

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Material dredged from the Lower Columbia River Federal Navigation Channel is graded following shoreline placement to assist in habitat creation.

New 20-year plan finalized to manage Columbia River dredged material

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, has finalized a 20-year plan to maintain the lower Columbia River’s deep-draft navigation channel, a critical artery for the nation’s economy.

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Image of people in canoes on a body of water approaching the shoreline.

A historical overview of the Coos Bay North Jetty

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announces the availability of a new, comprehensive historical manuscript detailing the cultural, maritime, and engineering history of the Coos Bay North Jetty on the Oregon coast. The document is now available to the public and researchers via the USACE Digital Library.

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Image of a jetty protruding out from the coast line into the ocean.

People, Peril and Perseverance: The Enduring Legacy of the Coos Bay North Jetty

The early 1800s heralded a period of immense change for the Coos Bay area with the arrival of its first non-Indigenous people: fur traders seeking fortune and military expeditions charting the new frontier. The discovery of gold and coal along Oregon’s southern coast in the 1850s intensified the rush of land speculation that followed.

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News

Drought vs. drawdown at Detroit reservoir: Top 5 questions answered

7/28/2026

This summer, visitors to and residents near Detroit Reservoir are noticing lower-than-average water levels...

The simply written stories of the complicated Bonneville Dam safety classification: Bonneville Dam is really complicated

7/27/2026

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of news commentaries on the Bonneville Dam safety reclassification. In this edition, the author will explain the basis of the reclassification, with future...

Col. Brendan “Mac” McEvoy assumes command of USACE Portland District

7/20/2026

Army Col. Brendan John “Mac” McEvoy became the 65th commander of the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, during a change-of-command ceremony at the district’s downtown headquarters today...

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Public Notices

Finding of No Significant Impact - Cottonwood Island Pile Dikes Final EA

6/18/2026

Finding of No Significant Impact - Cottonwood Island Pile Dikes Final EA announced...

Bradford Island Restoration Advisory Board Meeting scheduled for July 14, 2026

6/17/2026

The next Bradford Island Federal Facility National Priorities Site Listing Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, from 5-7 p.m. PST, via Teams...

Notice of Availability: Final Environmental Assessment for The Dalles and John Day Mitigation Program and Finding of No Significant Impact

6/16/2026

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Assessment for The Dalles and John Day Mitigation Program and Finding of No...

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