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Stayton council sends letter to Army Corps opposing planned Detroit Dam deep drawdown
Summary
City officials asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to suspend or modify a planned deep drawdown of Detroit Dam, citing potential catastrophic impacts to Stayton’s municipal water treatment because of projected sediment and turbidity increases.
Stayton’s City Council approved a formal letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing concern about a planned deep drawdown of Detroit Dam scheduled for fall 2025 and asking for suspension or modification of the operation.
The letter, read into the record by City Manager Julian, warns the Corps that the city’s slow sand filters are “highly sensitive to turbidity fluctuations” and cites historical data suggesting “anticipated sediment release is likely to exceed turbidity levels of 100 NTU, with peaks surpassing 1,200 NTU, far beyond the slow sand filter operation limit of 10 NTU.”
The nut graf: Stayton relies on the North Santiam River and the city’s treatment plant could face total treatment failure, prolonged service disruptions and public-health risks if the drawdown releases the volumes of sediment the letter anticipates.
Council and staff discussed recent experience with reservoir drawdowns in the region and the need for coordinated mitigation. The letter urges the Corps to prioritize: suspension or modification of the drawdown until alternative mitigation strategies are developed; comprehensive environmental and infrastructure impact assessments; development of viable mitigation strategies; and funding to cover impacts to affected communities. Julian said the city is coordinating with regional water purveyors, legal experts and state agencies and requested continued formal and informal meetings with the Corps.
Staff said a community information web page will go live the day after the meeting and that the city will copy federal and state elected officials on the letter. Consultant Barry Buchanan, working with the city on water issues, told council that valley-wide coordination is planned and that affected cities were “instructed … to participate in any way they can” to mitigate impacts.
The council asked staff to finalize the letter, circulate it to elected officials, and proceed with coordinated outreach. Council members signaled support for the approach and asked staff to keep the community updated as technical analyses and meetings proceed.
Ending: Staff said further coordination meetings with canyon cities and state partners are scheduled and that the city will seek to keep residents informed via the new web page and a future newsletter article.
