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  • Delayed refill at Corps reservoirs to impact boating, recreation

    Army water managers will delay refilling Cougar and Fall Creek reservoirs and conduct spill operations at Foster Dam as required by the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon’s Willamette Valley injunction because of recent litigation. The delay at Cougar and Fall Creek will impact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) ability to refill the reservoirs to their normal summer levels, which will impact boating and recreation activities.
  • Fish hatchery power problems continue, likely impacting more brood years

    Army engineers and biologists expect power problems at Cole M. Rivers hatchery, in southern Oregon, to impact at least one additional brood year of fish. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) officials had earlier hoped the power failure to only affect one brood year.
  • There and Back Again: A Salmon’s Tale in the Pacific Northwest

    Some fish live in freshwater streams and lakes. Other fish live in the ocean, in saltwater. Then there are salmon who do both. Salmon are anadromous, meaning they live part of their lives in freshwater and part in saltwater.
  • Corps considers future changes that may impact Willamette Valley System operations, maintenance

    Army engineers and planners are considering major changes that may impact the continued operations and maintenance of the Willamette Valley System (WVS). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) staff continue developing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for WVS operations and maintenance in accordance with authorized project purposes, while meeting Endangered Species Act (ESA) obligations to avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of listed species.
  • Power disruption, aging infrastructure impact fish hatchery

    The main electrical power feeder from Lost Creek Dam to the Cole M. Rivers Hatchery failed at the end of April 2021. Since then, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has been working to repair the line and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) staff have assisted as needed.
  • Mother Nature can be comforting but has scolded (scalded) us this year

    Mother Nature can be comforting and calm but this year it seems like she used our first, middle and last name as she scolded (or scalded) us … “Pacific North [emphasis added] West, what in the world were you thinking?!” … for punching our hypothetical little sister (California). Our punishment has been drought, record-breaking temperatures, wildfires and extremely dry conditions throughout the region. Even though the early part of this summer was a scorching hot nightmare, north western Oregon is fortunate to have a consistent flow of water – thanks to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ system of dams and reservoirs in the Willamette Valley.
  • That sounds fishy: fish ladders at high-head dams impractical, largely unneeded

    Humans. What other sentient being designs a tool requiring hands and feet and expects animals without limbs to use it? Alas, the answer is humans. Humans created a ladder for fish, which is quite effective in certain situations – but isn’t a blanket solution to every fish passage problem. And while most humans would agree that ladders can be useful for climbing short distances, perhaps 20-50 feet– another tool – like an elevator or truck – may be a better option to climb hundreds of feet. Otherwise, there would need to be more infrastructure to support that ladder, or perhaps it would need to be a staircase at that point. This is similar for fish when moving them up and downstream.
  • That sounds fishy: twisting traps troll tributaries in the Willamette

    The bulky contraptions float listlessly downstream of three dams in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The buoyant, metal devices hold large screws that the water flow turns. This twist of the screw – creating a creaking, rasping, scraping sound – generates enough hydraulics to keep small fish from escaping the slowly spinning, cone-shaped collectors – or, screw traps.
  • 21-032 Dworshak Dam continues to refill as flow augmentation season approaches

    AHSAHKA, Idaho –Dworshak Dam releases will remain at 1,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) as the reservoir continues to refill throughout the month. This operation is intended to capture as much water as possible before the start of flow augmentation.
  • Spring Spill begins facilitating fish passage at Snake and Columbia river dams

    Federal water managers have begun the annual spill of water past hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers to help juvenile salmon and steelhead migrate to the ocean this spring. The spill began April 3 on the lower Snake River and April 10 on the lower Columbia River. Spill for juvenile fish passage helps reduce the proportion of juvenile fish that pass dams through the turbines and helps reduce passage delay at each dam, thereby shortening their travel time through the Snake and Columbia rivers.