Corps to close Green Peter Dam road, adjacent parks

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will close the road over Green Peter Dam and the public areas on both ends of the dam from Aug. 31, 2015, to Feb. 15, 2016.

Green Peter Dam is on the Middle Santiam River, about 11 miles northeast of Sweet Home, Oregon. The closure will include the entire area from Quartzville Road on the north bank to the private property fence and gate on the south bank, including the North Viewpoint and Billings Park.

Construction crews will use the closure to rehabilitate the second of the dam’s two spillway gates, improving the dam’s ability to reduce flood damage to South Santiam River communities.

“We were very accommodating to people who wanted to cross the dam during last year’s work,” said Brian Schmidtke, project manager for the spillway gate rehabilitation. “Unfortunately, that led to delays and other costs we simply can’t afford this year. We understand the impact of the closure, but we will be strictly enforcing it this year.”

Crews will strengthen the gate face; replace the gate’s arms, trunnion pins and wire ropes; and replace or refurbish electrical controls, gearboxes and other systems. Much of the work involves the use of a large crane and other equipment that will block the entire top deck of the dam.

With a total storage capacity of 428,000 acre feet, Green Peter is third only to Lookout Point and Detroit dams in its ability to store Willamette Basin flood water. The dam prevented the South Santiam River from rising eight additional feet at the Waterloo gauge during the January 2012 storm event, and is estimated to have prevented over $17 million in damage to downriver communities during the 2011-2012 flood season.

For more information about the Corps’ and spillway gate rehabilitation program, visit, visit http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Water/SpillwayGates.aspx.