Sweet Home, OR. — The 2025 drawdown of Green Peter Reservoir by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has concluded its primary phase, with City of Sweet Home officials reporting temporary water quality impacts but no threat to public safety.
The drawdown began earlier this fall under a federal court order, with reservoir levels lowered to a target elevation of 780 feet by December 1 and held until December 15 before allowing natural refill. Officials anticipated the highest turbidity levels in November. Similar water quality impacts were observed during the first drawdown in fall 2023, particularly affecting raw water drawn from Foster Reservoir.
As of December 7, refill of Green Peter and Foster reservoirs has begun, marking the end of the main drawdown period. The City is currently observing elevated turbidity, or cloudiness, largely attributed to an ongoing atmospheric river expected to last through December 12…