Two weeks. That is how long the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers now plans to keep Detroit Lake at a low elevation near the end of 2026, cutting down the time Salem expected to lean on backup water supplies. The shorter low-water window reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk that sediment churned up by the drawdown will overwhelm the Geren Island water treatment plant. The operation is still expected to drop the reservoir about 55 feet from its typical fall level to help threatened salmon and steelhead move downstream.
Corps confirms a shorter low-water window
The timing update came in a recent staff briefing and was confirmed by the Corps on March 3, which said the reservoir would sit at the targeted low elevation for a two-week period to allow fish…..