Corps to double Dorena Dam water releases

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alerts residents and visitors near Dorena Dam and Reservoir east of Cottage Grove, Ore., that water releases from the dam will likely double over the next few days, resulting in higher Row River flows and more rapid lowering of reservoir water levels.

The Corps has been releasing between 500 and 600 cubic feet of water per second from the dam for the last month as part of its normal drawdown of the reservoir from its summer elevation of 832 feet above sea level to its winter flood control elevation of 770 feet.

Symbiotics Energy requested the Corps draw down the reservoir by Oct. 15 rather than the usual Nov. 1 to facilitate Symbiotics’ construction of the Dorena Lake Dam Hydropower Project.  Symbiotics’ construction crews need access to upstream areas where the project’s new penstock will penetrate the concrete portion of them dam.

The Corps agreed to an early drawdown and will increase flows over two days to about 1,200 cubic feet per second, although reaching 770 feet by Oct. 15 is not assured.

Current Willamette Basin river flows and reservoir levels are available at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Water.aspx.  For more information about the Dorena Lake Dam Hydropower Project, visit http://www.riverbankpower.com/dorena.html.