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  • February

    Fall Creek Reservoirs water elevations were at 704 ft. elevation, December 21, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water managers will hold the reservoir to 700 ft. above sea level until mid-March and then refill and hold at 728 ft. through May. This may eliminate use of two boat ramps for use, Cascara and Winberry; however, North Shore may be available. Corps staff is unsure of how that will impact camping opportunities. (U.S. Army Photo by Wendy Jones)

    Delayed refill at Corps reservoirs to impact boating, recreation

    Army water managers will delay refilling Cougar and Fall Creek reservoirs and conduct spill operations at Foster Dam as required by the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon’s Willamette Valley injunction because of recent litigation. The delay at Cougar and Fall Creek will impact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) ability to refill the reservoirs to their normal summer levels, which will impact boating and recreation activities.

  • September

    Corps closes recreation areas due to Willamette Valley fires

    Due to multiple fires burning throughout the Willamette Valley, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District is closing all of the recreation areas it manages near its dams.

  • October

    Corps drills into Foster Dam during geotechnical investigation

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Dam Safety team will conduct a geotechnical investigation at Foster Dam near Sweet Home, Oregon. Drilling should begin on October 22 and it will include boring into the dam’s embankment or rock-fill portion of the dam.

  • November

    Water flows out of Foster Dam through a ‘fish weir’ (right spillway), Sweet Home, Ore. A fish weir is a structure that the Corps places in a dam’s spillway to manage water for juvenile fish passage. The weir constrains the release of water to maintain flow requirements, provides attraction for fish (stream-like flow from the surface of the reservoir) and creates a ‘cushion’ of water when striking the spillway. This cushion helps fish survive the fall. The Corps is removing a crane (upper right) to install a new weir.

    Ongoing improvements for fish passage at Foster Dam to close road

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will close the road on top of Foster Dam, Sweet Home, Oregon, to remove a large crane, Dec. 4-29. During this time, Foster Dam Road will be closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic. For a time, the Corps used the crane and elevator system, which was innovative for its time, for adult fish collection and passage over Foster Dam; however, the equipment wasn’t fully successful in moving fish above the dam in an efficient manner. Corps biologists concluded there were better options.