South Fork Water: supply stable now but plan readies city for curtailment if river flows fall

Wyatt Parno, chief executive officer of South Fork Water, gave a Water Management and Conservation Plan briefing at the West Linn council work session, saying the plan is required by state law and is intended to protect long‑term supply and natural resources.

"As of today, our drinking water source is reliable. There's no special actions required," Parno said, while noting the region's low snowpack and warm forecast could reduce river flow. He described conservation (ongoing measures such as leak detection and annual audits) separately from curtailment (temporary mandatory limits when river conditions require them).

Parno outlined a four‑stage curtailment scheme: Stage 1 voluntary, Stages 2–4 mandatory when specific storage or fish‑flow conditions are met. He said Stage 2 can be triggered by fish persistence thresholds associated with the water rights permits and gave the summer fish persistence target cited in the plan as "6 50 cubic feet per 2nd." If mandatory curtailment is required, South Fork will coordinate with city staff and provide clear notice asking residents to limit landscape watering to 8PM–8AM.

Councilors thanked the South Fork team and invited staff to continue public education. Councilor Bonnington offered to use his social channels for outreach, and several council members accepted invitations to tour the South Fork water plant. Parno said the draft plan has been submitted to the Oregon Water Resources Department and staff expect approval by the end of the summer.