EUGENE, Ore. (CN) — An Oregon city and county urged a federal judge Tuesday to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from carrying out its plan to lower water levels in Detroit Lake, arguing the action will both harm protected fish species and imperil drinking water.
“The biggest question for me is about likelihood of harm,” said U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finalized a supplemental environmental impact statement for the system of 13 federally operated dams and reservoirs it operates throughout the Willamette River Basin in Oregon, proposing to lower the Detroit Reservoir to an elevation of 1,395 feet during late fall and early winter. The minimum conservation pool is 1450 feet…