Salem declares emergency, moves to bolster water supply ahead of proposed Detroit Reservoir drawdown

Salem City Council on Monday voted to declare an emergency tied to a proposed deep drawdown of Detroit Reservoir and authorized expedited procurement and preparatory work to protect the city's drinking-water treatment system.

The council passed an amended resolution extending the emergency through Dec. 31, 2026, after a staff presentation that said the planned lowering of lake levels could produce sustained turbidity far above levels the city's slow-sand filters are designed to treat.

City Engineer Alan Dannon told the council the Army Corps of Engineers' planned drawdown, required by a National Marine Fisheries Service biological opinion, would lower lake levels roughly 50 feet below the current minimum winter pool and likely produce suspended-sediment levels that would rapidly plug the city's slow-sand filters.

—We began investigating as soon as we heard about the proposed drawdown in 2024 and conducted pilot testing with sediment from Detroit Reservoir,— Dannon said. He described filter runs that deteriorated from months-long operation to just two to three weeks at elevated turbidity, and tests showing fine sediment penetrating deeper into filters so they could need wholesale rebuilding after repeated exposure.

Dannon said the city has alternate sources'production wells at the treatment island, an aquifer-storage-and-recovery facility in South Salem and an intertie with the city of Keizer'but the maximum current capacity falls short of average winter demand. To add resiliency before the proposed 2026 drawdown, staff proposed an expedited program to drill two (with options for up to four) large production wells at Garonne Island, add pumping capability at the Keizer intertie, and accelerate resanding of slow-sand filters.

Public Works Director Brian Martin told council there are long lead times for well drillers and pump equipment and that following the typical public procurement schedule could push completion into 2027, after the drawdown window. He and Dannon said the city would use emergency procurement rules to seek competitive quotes quickly and that existing competitively procured consultant and contractor-of-record contracts would be used where appropriate.

Dannon said the rough estimate for the expedited program is about $8 million; roughly $7 million is already included in the water capital program for water-supply mitigation and a bit more than $1 million was budgeted for resanding. Dannon said staff will report quarterly to council on progress, procurement and budget.

Council members asked about alternatives such as staged or partial drawdowns, the city's ability to seek federal funding or Corps reimbursement, and whether mandatory conservation could be required later. Martin said the Corps has suggested staged approaches in public meetings but offered no guarantee; he said the city would seek federal assistance but had no certainty of success and that mandatory conservation would require a separate emergency action if needed.

Councilors and staff repeatedly framed the steps as resilience measures for multiple risks to the water system, including turbidity events and potential storm impacts. Dannon recommended the emergency declaration so that the city could shorten procurement lead times and get drilling and equipment schedules moving immediately.

The council adopted the amended resolution by roll call after debate. The amendment extended the emergency through Dec. 31, 2026. Mayor Julie Hoy and councilors recorded unanimous ayes with one absence noted for Councilor Nordyke.