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News Release

Marion County Files Motion For Preliminary Injunction To Protect Detroit Lake - 08/11/26

SALEM, OR — On Monday, Marion County filed a motion outlining the many ways federal defendants violated the law in adopting their new policy of annual deep drawdowns of Detroit Lake. This new policy will devastate canyon communities, endanger drinking water for over 230,000 people living downstream, and even jeopardize the very fish it claims to be trying to save.

 

In 2023, a court order forced similar deep drawdowns at nearby Green Peter Lake due to a lawsuit from an environmental group. This killed thousands of salmon and caused massive increases in turbidity that harmed downstream water systems.

 

Photo Credit: Brian Stone Photography LLC; explanatory text added by public commenter who submitted it during SEIS process.

 

The new policy of annual deep drawdowns would drain the lake below its minimum conservation pool—to its lowest historic level in the first year and to even deeper untested low levels each fall in following years. Dropping water levels in this manner disturbs fine sediment on the lake bottom and causes turbidity (dirty water), which harms all fish and municipal water systems downstream. There would also be water shortages if there is low rain that prevents refill, hurting cities and agriculture. The damage that was caused by the deep drawdown of Green Peter shows a deep drawdown of Detroit could also kill much of a lake’s fish population. All this would harm the tourism-based economy of the local community.

 

“Risking the drinking water of our communities while harming thousands of fish is patently absurd” said Commissioner Colm Willis, Chair. “Since the Army Corps refused to listen to reasonable requests from the county, cities, and schools, this lawsuit is the strongest means we have to protect our downstream communities as well as recreation at Detroit Lake”

 

The Army Corps’ own analysis found that the level of low rain that causes water shortages when combined with a deep drawdown occurs one out of every four years. This year will almost certainly be one of those years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an “81% chance of a very strong El Niño during October-December of 2026 that would rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record going back to 1950” and “a 97% chance” that El Niño conditions “will persist through early spring 2027.”

 

“Our residents depend on clean, reliable drinking water,” said Commissioner Kevin Cameron. “The Army Corps should not be gambling with the safety of drinking water in our community.”

 

“Water management must be grounded in data-backed science with meaningful protections in place for our communities,” said Commissioner Danielle Bethell. “The Army Corps is defying common sense and has not committed to any meaningful safeguards, which is why we will continue this fight to protect our residents from the Army Corps’ devastating policies.”

Marion County Files Motion For Preliminary Injunction To Protect Detroit Lake - 08/11/26

SALEM, OR — On Monday, Marion County filed a motion outlining the many ways federal defendants violated the law in adopting their new policy of annual deep drawdowns of Detroit Lake. This new policy will devastate canyon communities, endanger drinking water for over 230,000 people living downstream, and even jeopardize the very fish it claims to be trying to save.

 

In 2023, a court order forced similar deep drawdowns at nearby Green Peter Lake due to a lawsuit from an environmental group. This killed thousands of salmon and caused massive increases in turbidity that harmed downstream water systems.

 

Photo Credit: Brian Stone Photography LLC; explanatory text added by public commenter who submitted it during SEIS process.

 

The new policy of annual deep drawdowns would drain the lake below its minimum conservation pool—to its lowest historic level in the first year and to even deeper untested low levels each fall in following years. Dropping water levels in this manner disturbs fine sediment on the lake bottom and causes turbidity (dirty water), which harms all fish and municipal water systems downstream. There would also be water shortages if there is low rain that prevents refill, hurting cities and agriculture. The damage that was caused by the deep drawdown of Green Peter shows a deep drawdown of Detroit could also kill much of a lake’s fish population. All this would harm the tourism-based economy of the local community.

 

“Risking the drinking water of our communities while harming thousands of fish is patently absurd” said Commissioner Colm Willis, Chair. “Since the Army Corps refused to listen to reasonable requests from the county, cities, and schools, this lawsuit is the strongest means we have to protect our downstream communities as well as recreation at Detroit Lake”

 

The Army Corps’ own analysis found that the level of low rain that causes water shortages when combined with a deep drawdown occurs one out of every four years. This year will almost certainly be one of those years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting an “81% chance of a very strong El Niño during October-December of 2026 that would rank among the largest El Niño events in the historical record going back to 1950” and “a 97% chance” that El Niño conditions “will persist through early spring 2027.”

 

“Our residents depend on clean, reliable drinking water,” said Commissioner Kevin Cameron. “The Army Corps should not be gambling with the safety of drinking water in our community.”

 

“Water management must be grounded in data-backed science with meaningful protections in place for our communities,” said Commissioner Danielle Bethell. “The Army Corps is defying common sense and has not committed to any meaningful safeguards, which is why we will continue this fight to protect our residents from the Army Corps’ devastating policies.”