Oregon cities and county seek court block on Army Corps’ Detroit Lake drawdown

In a lawsuit filed this year, the city of Salem and Marion County asked U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai to issue an injunction against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to lower Detroit Lake to an elevation of 1,395 feet during late November and early December. Plaintiffs argue the drawdown will raise sediment and turbidity, jeopardizing Salem’s sole drinking-water source and its slow-sand filtration system, and could leave the reservoir below its minimum conservation pool by February.

They also cite an El Niño forecast that may limit water recovery. The Corps, supported by the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, Native Fish Society and other NGOs, says the reduction is needed to facilitate downstream migration of juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead under the National Marine Fisheries Service’s recovery plan. Defendants contend the action is critical for protecting endangered species and should not be delayed. Judge Kasubhai indicated a decision will be issued before month’s end and instructed the Corps to notify the court before any drawdown begins.