Construction crews moving to Foster Dam Oct. 17

Fish facility upgrade includes Wiley Park closures, Foster neighborhood traffic

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alerts Sweet Home, Ore., residents and visitors that construction crews are scheduled to begin moving into Wiley Park and other areas around Foster Dam Oct. 17, to begin upgrading the dam’s adult fish facility.  Construction will continue through early 2014.

The Corps will permanently remove the east end of Wiley Park from public use to accommodate the new facility.  Other parts of the park will also temporarily close, but the Corps anticipates keeping at least some sections open for public use throughout construction.

Some short-term, temporary closures of the Wiley Park boat ramp are also likely, but it will remain open as much as possible during construction, particularly during fishing seasons.

Heavy equipment and vehicles will be regularly traveling through the Foster neighborhood between U.S. Highway 20 and the park.  A small amount of construction in the forebay is also required, so access to Foster Dam Road itself may be limited or closed at times.

The Corps will hold a public meeting in Sweet Home later this or early next month to inform interested citizens about the project’s plan, schedule, benefits and impacts.

For more information about the project, visit http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/About/Currentprojects/FosterFishCollectionFacilityRebuild.aspx.  Short-term closures and other impacts will also be announced at http://www.facebook.com/portlandcorps and http://twitter.com/portlandcorps.