PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alerts South Santiam River users downstream of Foster Dam near Sweet Home, Ore., that they may notice green dye in the river early in March. The exact release date has not yet been determined.
Engineers will use fluorocine dye to test the water recirculation system of the new Foster Adult Fish Facility under construction on the south bank of the river near Wiley Park. The dye will simulate the formalin solution used by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to treat fish for diseases and parasites.
All such treatments must meet or exceed Oregon Department of Environmental Quality standards. The test will determine how effectively the solution spreads through the facility’s holding pools, and if it might reach the river.
The dye will disperse quickly in the river and break down completely in 5-7 days. The Corps has coordinated the test with the City of Sweet Home, Linn County and ODEQ.
The Foster Adult Fish Facility Upgrade Project is part of the Corps’ ongoing efforts to restore Upper Willamette River spring Chinook salmon and winter steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act. For more information, visit http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Currentprojects/FosterFishCollectionFacilityRebuild.aspx.
Foster Dam and Reservoir is one of 13 dam and reservoir projects operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Willamette Basin. Each dam contributes to a water resource plan designed to provide flood damage reduction, power generation, irrigation, water quality improvement, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation and navigation on the Willamette River and many of its tributaries. For more information, visit http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Locations/WillametteValley.aspx.
Release no. 14-011