Detroit Dam Drawdown

• Why This Matters? ▲

  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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• What is the City Doing? ▲

  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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• How Could This Effect Stayton's Water? ▲

  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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• What are the Possible Solutions? ▲

  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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• What Next? ▲

  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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• How Can Residents Help? ▲
  • 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:

  • Federal Letter Template.docx
  • State Letter Template.docx
  • Phone Call Script for Federal Representatives.docx

  • Download file

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