Zach Urness

Statesman Journal

Scott Lunski believes the time has come for changes in the way Detroit Lake is managed.

The owner of Detroit Lake Marina said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has struggled to keep the reservoir east of Salem high enough for summer recreation.

He pointed out that guidelines for filling the reservoir haven’t been significantly updated since the 1950s, and that water releases for fish conservation have pushed the reservoir to lower summer levels.

“I don’t think the Corps are doing their job very well,” said Lunski, who has owned the marina since 2004 with his family. “Their job is to keep the lake full and meet all the demands. Instead, they’re making excuses in the name of fish conservation and using technology from the era of black and white TV to run the reservoir.”

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Corps officials said they are fulfilling their mandate, which prioritizes flood control and fish health above recreation. They point to the myriad uses for reservoir water — hydropower, irrigation and city drinking water — and said they actively plan and adjust management of Detroit Lake.

“We understand the economic value for recreation at Detroit, and we can make some concessions to keep water in the lake, but recreation isn’t the top priority in driving the decision-making process,” said Amy Echols, spokeswoman for the Corps in Portland. “All the demands on water — plus fulfilling our mission on flood control — create a challenging balancing act.”

The rule curve

The primary issue centers on what’s known as the “rule curve.” Developed when during the period the reservoir was constructed in 1953, the curve sets a model for the reservoir’s water level.

During the peak rainy season, for example, the reservoir is dropped to around 1,450 feet above sea level — or 113 feet lower than a “full” summer water level.

The reservoir is kept that low so it can absorb a “100 year storm event” — a flood such as those seen in 1964 and 1996 — and limit damage to the Willamette Valley.

The Corps begins filling the reservoir on Feb 1, and depends on spring rains and some snowmelt to reach Detroit’s summertime water level of 1563.5 feet.

When spring rains don’t materialize at normal levels — which occurred in both 2015 and this year — it leads to lower reservoir levels in the summer.

Lunski believes the Corps, with the benefit of modern technology, should modify the rule curve. The Corps has more demands on its water, he said, and should study allowing the reservoir to fill more quickly in March and early April.

“They should take into account the last 50 years, look at the probability of flooding during those months, and come up with a better plan,” he said. “It’s time to adjust the curve.”

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Echols said adjusting the curve would require a major study that takes into account all 10 dam systems in the Willamette Basin — since they all work toward the same goals.

A new rule curve wouldn’t necessarily mean more water in Detroit Lake during summer either, Echols said. In fact, it might mean the opposite.

“Modifying our rule curves would require a significant re-evaluation of basin and tributary hydrology … including potential increases in flood consequences due to higher Willamette Valley population,” Echols said. “With this information, re-evaluating the rule curve could indicate the need to shift refill to later in the spring. This could actually reduce summer storage.”

The fish problem

Perhaps the most galling thing for Lunski is that following the curve isn’t the top priority by late spring and summer.

Since mid-May, for example, the level of Detroit Lake has been dropping, even though the reservoir is about eight feet below the rule curve.

At a time when the Corps could fill the reservoir, and create a longer recreation season, they’re not doing so.

What gives?

The reason, in a nutshell, is the Endangered Species Act and a Biological Opinion authored in 2008. By law, a certain amount of water is required for threatened spring Chinook and winter steelhead in the Willamette Basin.

“We have required flows that address the migration, spawning, incubation and rearing life cycles for fish,” said Ian Chane, fisheries biologist and program manager for the Corps. “Historically, we didn’t have these requirements, but they are now mandated.”



The requirements for fish crystallizes Lunski’s frustration. If the Corps is required to devote a certain amount of water to fish, they should make up for it by taking in additional water. Otherwise, the water deficit gets passed onto business owners and boaters, Lunski said.

“Even in the years they do fill the reservoir, what ends up happening is that they let so much water out that it shortens or ends our season early,” he said. “Rather than getting through mid-September, we’re now lucky to get through Labor Day.”

The future

The uncertain future has prompted the Corps to suggest marinas on Detroit Lake consider dredging out dock systems lower in the reservoir pool.

Both Detroit Lake Marina and Kane’s Marina have docks at 1,546 feet, leaving little room for error with the full reservoir at 1563.5 feet.

The changing climate, and increasing demands on the water, might mean lower water levels are increasingly likely.

Lunski said he’s considered it, but the starting cost would be around $150,000. It would cost even more money to create access to the lower docks.

“That amount of money is not an easy thing,” he said. “Plus, it can take up to two years to get the permit approved.”

There is some hope for recreation in the future.

Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden has introduced legislation that would require the Corps to place a higher premium on recreation.

“We’re not going to tell the Army Corps to stop doing the things they’re doing — like flood control — but we are saying, for the first time, that they need to make recreation a top priority,” Wyden said during an interview last March.

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And, the Corps is currently in the process of determining how to allocate water stored in Willamette Valley reservoirs between farmers, cities, fish and, yes, recreation-focused businesses.

“Don’t get me wrong, the Corps is trying,” Lunski said. “I just don’t think they’re thinking outside the box, or are so stuck by a few rules that keeps them from doing a better job for Detroit Lake.”

Zach Urness has been an outdoors writer, photographer and videographer in Oregon for eight years. He is the author of the book “Hiking Southern Oregon” and can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Zach Urness or @ZachsORoutdoors on Twitter.