July 17, 2023
Lookout Point Fall Downstream Fish Passage (Injunction Measure 16) PDF Link

July 12, 2022 Inunction Measure PDF Link
• Green Peter Dam Fall Downstream Fish Passage Injunction Measure PDF Link
• Cougar regulating outlet modification recommendation PDF Link

September 1, 2021 Interim Injunction PDF Link
• Foster Dam Fall Spill Operation Implementation Plan (Injunction Measure 13(a) PDF Link
• Cougar Reservoir Fall Drawdown Implementation Plan (Injunction Measure 14) PDF Link

September 21, 2021 - PDF Link
• Order on Detroit Dam Temperature Management Operation and Implementation Plan (Injunction Measure 10(a) PDF Link

November 2, 2021 - PDF Link
• Foster Spring Spill Implementation Plan (Injunction Measure 13(b) PDF Link
• Cougar Delayed Refill Implementation Plan (Injunction Measure 15) PDF Link
• Fall Creek Delayed Refill Implementation Plan (Injunction Measure 19 & 20) PDF Link

November 29, 2021 PDF Link
• Implementation Plan: Green Peter Outplanting PDF Link
• Implementation Plan: Green Peter Spring Spill PDF Link
• Implementation Plan Revision: Water Release Strategy for Cougar Fall Drawdown PDF Link

December 22, 2021 PDF Link
• Implementation Plan: Lookout Point Spring Spill PDF Link

North Santiam River Sub-basin

• Carry out fish passage and water quality operations at Detroit and Big Cliff reservoirs as detailed in the Corps’ Interim Measure Nos. 5-7. (Injunction Measure 10)
  • Once the elevation of Detroit Reservoir is less than 100 feet over the turbine intakes during the fall drawdown and winter months, generally only operate the turbines at Detroit Dam during the day and prioritize a non-turbine outlet to pass flow at night (from dusk until dawn), generally with no turbine operation during that time. (Interim Measure 5)
  • When the Corps is operating the spillway at Big Cliff Dam, operate multiple spillway gates to spread total flow across the spillway. (Interim Measure 6)
  • Through strategic use of the spillway, turbines, and regulating outlets at Detroit Dam, provide downstream fish passage in the spring and water temperature management throughout late spring and summer at Detroit and Big Cliff dams (right). (Interim Measure 7)
  • Draft Detroit Reservoir to elevation 1,465 feet or less by October 15, 2021 and then use Detroit Dam’s lower regulating outlets for temperature control purposes. (Injunction Measure 10(a))

South Santiam River Sub-basin

• Beginning in spring 2022, once Green Peter Reservoir reaches elevation 971 ft., spill continuously until May 1 or for at least 30 days, whichever is longer. (Injunction Measure 12(a))
• Conduct a fall drawdown of Green Peter Reservoir to a target elevation of 780 ft. by November 15 and hold at that elevation until December 15. Generally use the regulating outlets exclusively to pass flow once the reservoir is below minimum power pool (887 ft.). (Injunction Measure 12(b)) Note: This operation is anticipated to begin in fall 2023
• Draw down Foster Reservoir to elevation 620-625 feet by October 1 and operate the Foster Dam spillway, with limited turbine operation, from one hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise from October 1 through December 15. (Injunction Measure 13(a))
• Hold Foster Reservoir at minimum conservation pool (elevation 613 feet) and operate the Foster Dam spillway, with limited turbine operation, from one hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise from February 1 through May 15. Beginning May 16, refill Foster Reservoir, targeting full pool by Memorial Day Weekend, and operate the Foster Dam spillway, with limited turbine operation, from one hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise until June 15. Beginning June 16 through mid- to late-July, operate the Foster fish weir for downstream water temperature management. (Injunction Measure 13(b))

McKenzie River Sub-basin

• Conduct a fall drawdown of Cougar Reservoir to a target elevation of 1,505 feet by November 15 until December 15 and generally use the regulating outlets exclusively during that time to pass flow. (Injunction Measure 14)
• On December 16, initiate the refill of Cougar Reservoir to minimum conservation pool (elevation 1,532 feet) and hold until March 1. On March 1, begin drafting Cougar Reservoir to reach elevation 1,520 feet by April 1. Using adaptive management to determine the refill starting date, delay the refill of Cougar Reservoir from elevation 1,520 feet as long as possible while maintaining a high likelihood of reaching elevation 1,571 feet by July 1 to enable use of the water temperature control tower in late summer and fall. From December 16 through June 1, prioritize the regulating outlets at night to pass flows. In September, transition to the fall drawdown operation. (Injunction Measure 15)

Middle Fork Willamette River Sub-basin

• Implement regulating outlet spill operations daily from 6-10 p.m. at Hills Creek Dam once the reservoir elevation is 50 feet or less above the regulating outlets in the fall through March 1. (Injunction Measure 8/Corps Interim Measure 20)
• Use storage from Hills Creek Reservoir to begin refilling Lookout Point Reservoir in early March. Once Lookout Point Reservoir reaches elevation 890 ft., spill water over the spillways 24/7 for at least 30 days at both Lookout Point and Dexter dams while maintaining the elevation of Lookout Point Reservoir between 890-893 ft. During that time, generally do not operate the turbines at both projects, with limited exceptions. After that initial 30-day period, spill at night at both projects, with generation during the day, for as long as water is available and downstream conditions allow. Then manage Lookout Point Reservoir to achieve elevation 887.5 ft. by July 15, 2022 and operate the regulating outlets as needed to reduce downstream water temperatures when water temperatures downstream of Dexter Dam near 60 degrees. (Injunction Measure 17)
• Conduct an annual Lookout Point Reservoir deep drawdown operation from November 15 through December 15 to improve downstream fish passage. (Injunction Measure 16)
• Conduct the annual Fall Creek Reservoir deep drawdown operation similar to prior years but extend the dates from December 1 through January 15. (Injunction Measure 19)
• On January 16, begin the refill of Fall Creek Reservoir to elevation 700 feet and hold at that elevation through March 15. On March 16, initiate the refill to reach elevation 728 feet by April 15 and maintain that elevation through May 15 unless additional refill is necessary to ensure operation of the Fall Creek Adult Fish Collection Facility through September 30. After May 15, refill the reservoir to the extent possible. (Injunction Measure 20)

The Corps is carrying out Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E) to assess the effects of the injunction measures on UWR Chinook salmon and UWR steelhead. RM&E results can be found here.

One of the RM&E methods being used is screw traps:

Screw traps (above) are rudimentary tools that give Corps biologists basic data about the fish and the Corps will use them for the next couple years. The data is partially influenced by other factors, including traps only spans a small portion of any water body and they are designed to primarily capture smaller fish that cannot swim out of the device. Click here to learn more.

Rotary screw traps are fish sampling devices that have a cone-shaped collector device - or 'rotary screw' - suspended between two pontoons that spins in conjunction of the river hydraulics in order to collect a portion of fish traveling downstream. These fish are captured in the rotary screw and funneled to a box at the rear of the trap where they are held until staff arrive to remove debris and count, measure, and release the collected fish. 

Operation of rotary screw traps provide general information about downstream fish passage, primarily for juvenile spring Chinook and winter steelhead herein.  Extended operation of rotary screw traps provide information such as species presence over time and migration or run-timing. A variety of additional sampling measures can also be performed as warranted such as fish condition assessments and marking or tagging of individual fish (e.g., through the use of PIT tags).  Data collected by rotary screw traps is influenced by a variety of factors including, rotary screw traps only spans a small portion of any water body and they are designed to primarily capture smaller fish that are traveling downstream and that cannot swim out of the device.

The Corps began operating rotary screw traps at multiple sites in the Willamette River basin in 2021 in partial fulfillment of RM&E requirements associated with the interim injunction that requires the Corps to undertake specified actions to improve fish passage and monitor results at several Willamette Valley Project dams for the benefit of Upper Willamette River (UWR) spring Chinook salmon and UWR winter steelhead salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Operation of the rotary screw traps will continue, generally seasonally and at multiple sites, through 2024 as directed by the interim injunction and court-ordered implementation plans to the extent feasible.