Santiam reservoir levels expected to keep dropping

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers alerts boaters and other recreation users that Detroit and Green Peter reservoirs on the North and Middle Santiam rivers are likely to recede below their minimum conservation elevations as early as next week.

The Corps usually tries to hold water levels near those elevations throughout the winter. Going below them will put the Mongold low-water boat ramp at Detroit Reservoir and the Thistle Creek low-water boat ramp at Green Peter Reservoir out of service.

At the same time, the Corps is starting its usual drawdown of Foster Reservoir on the South Santiam River to its winter elevation, which will put the Calkins Park and Gedney boat ramps and Edgewater Marina out of service. The Sunnyside Park low-water ramp should still be usable through the winter.

“We have been working closely with our partners to release the absolute minimum water from these reservoirs needed to meet our water supply and fish and wildlife missions,” said Laurie Nicholas, chief of the Reservoir Regulation and Water Quality Section for the Corps’ Portland District. “Those releases, unfortunately, still exceed inflows by a fairly large amount.”

Nicholas said the Corps does not expect problems meeting its downriver water management missions this fall, but that may change the longer the region goes without significant rainfall.

For current Willamette Basin reservoir levels and river flows, visit http://go.usa.gov/3e5qz.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates 13 dam and reservoir projects 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://go.usa.gov/3e5rF.