Rep. Diehl: Stop Detriot Lake draw-down

By State Representative Ed Diehl;

The first deep drawdown of Detroit Lake is only about four months away.

Yet the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters

still hasn’t released a detailed implementation plan.

Stayton and other small communities still lack a reliable backup water source. Risk management plans remain incomplete, even as cities work with the Oregon Health Authority to prepare for potentially serious drinking water impacts.

This isn’t responsible planning. It’s putting the Santiam Canyon at unnecessary risk.

We are urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to postpone the drawdown, regroup, and resolve these critical issues before moving forward.

Congress must modernize the Endangered Species Act. Decisions with far-reaching consequences for Oregon communities should be made by accountable policymakers, guided by sound science, not driven by litigation and court orders that fail to account for the real-world impacts on the families, businesses, and communities of the Santiam Canyon.

We can protect fish while also protecting the people who call this canyon home.