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Detroit Dam Drawdown

The City of Stayton is preparing for possible water quality problems due to a planned release of sediment from Detroit Dam in the fall of 2025 and each year after. This project, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), aims to improve fish migration but could seriously impact Stayton’s water supply.
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No Deep Drawdown at Detroit Lake in 2025, USACE Confirms
04/11/2025

Quick Take: There will not be a deep-water drawdown at Detroit Lake this fall (2025), even though it was previously planned.

 

We've been discussing recent changes to how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) manages the dams in the Willamette Valley, including Detroit Dam. One of the things being considered is the practice of deep drawdowns to help fish. Here’s the latest update.

 

USACE Visit: Representatives from the Army Corps, including Colonel Caswell, recently visited Stayton to meet with the Mayor, City Council, and staff. They wanted to learn more about our water treatment system and hear our concerns about how deep drawdowns affect local water resources. We’re pleased to report that they confirmed there will be no deep drawdown at Detroit Lake this year.

 

What’s Happening? The Army Corps is finalizing their plan for managing the dams and lakes in our area. However, recent legislation (Water Resources Development Act of 2024) has asked them to also study what would happen if the dams no longer produced electricity. Because of this, their plans are being rolled out in two stages:

 

  1. Step One – 2025: This year, they will follow a temporary plan to help fish and maintain water quality while they continue studying the issue.

  2. Step Two – 2026 and Beyond: In 2026, they will release a final plan that includes long-term changes, which might even involve stopping power generation at some dams.

 

In summary, the original plan called for a significant water drop below normal levels (called a “deep drawdown”) at Detroit Lake this fall to help young fish swim downstream. However, this will not happen in Fall 2025. Instead, the issue will be studied further, and any potential changes may be part of the long-term plan in 2026.

 

Thank you for staying engaged! We’ll continue to provide updates as we receive more information.

Background Information

  • Stayton gets its drinking water from the North Santiam River, which flows from the Cascade Mountains through Detroit and Big Cliff Dams. The city’s water treatment plant uses Slow Sand Filters (SSF), which may not work if the river becomes too muddy (turbid) due to the drawdown. In the past, similar projects have caused major water quality issues in other areas, raising concerns for Stayton and nearby communities.

    USACE plans to lower Detroit Reservoir by 55 feet lower than normal drawdown level to help fish move through the river system. However, past projects like this on the South Santiam River led to long periods of high turbidity, making it nearly impossible to treat drinking water

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  • Stayton is acting by working with legal experts and partnering with other affected cities, including Detroit, Lyons/Mehama, Gates, Mill City, Jefferson, Albany, Salem, and the Santiam Water Control District. Together, they are exploring legal and engineering options to reduce or prevent the impact of the drawdown.

    At a key meeting with USACE on January 31, 2025, city officials raised concerns about:

    • USACE’s failure to follow past environmental recommendations.
    • Conflicts between federal environmental laws.
    • The uncertain future of hydroelectric power operations at Detroit Dam.

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  • If turbidity levels reach the extreme levels seen in past drawdowns—up to 2,700 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units)—Stayton’s Slow Sand Filters will be unable to function. These filters work best when turbidity is below 10 NTU. If the plant shuts down, residents could be left without clean water, or possibly any water at all, for weeks or even months.

    Nearby cities like Lebanon and Sweet Home have already suffered damage to their water systems from similar projects and are suing USACE for $37 million. Stayton is watching this case closely while considering its own legal options.

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  • City officials are exploring several ways to protect Stayton’s water supply, including:

    • Taking legal action to stop the drawdown.
    • Working with state and federal leaders to find a better solution.
    • Looking into alternative water sources, such as wells or connections to other cities.
    • Updating the water treatment process to handle more sediment.
    • Using pre-treatment methods like roughing filtration or sedimentation basins.
    • Creating emergency plans with state and local agencies.

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  • Stayton has started a monitoring program to track turbidity levels and will use the data to plan its response. City officials will also attend regional meetings with other affected communities to discuss the best course of action.

    There is no clear solution yet, but Stayton is committed to keeping its water safe and reliable.

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    • Stay Informed. Sign up for email updates by filling out our online form. For ongoing updates, residents are also encouraged to attend or stream live upcoming City Council meetings.

    • Speak Up. Your voice matters! Working together, we can help protect Stayton's water for  the future.

    Write your State and Federal representatives and show your concerns about this action and the impact to the Community’s water supply. Contact information along with sample letter and phone call templates can be found below:

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State Representative Ed Diehl
Phone
Email
Website
(503) 986-1417
State Senator Fred Girod
Phone
Email
Website
(503) 986-1709
US Representative Janelle Bynum
Phone
Email
Website
Oregon: (503) 387-8651; DC: (202) 225-5711
US Senator Jeff Merkley
Phone
Email
Website
Salem: (503) 362-8102; DC: (202) 224-3753
US Senator Ron Wyden
Phone
Email
Website
Salem: (503) 589-4555; DC: (202) 224-5244
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