Willamette Valley – McKenzie River Subbasin

Spillway Gates and Reservoir Restrictions

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates 13 dam and reservoir projects in
the Willamette River basin. Each dam contributes to a water resource
management system that provides flood damage reduction, power
generation, water quality improvement, irrigation, fish and wildlife habitat and
recreation on the Willamette River and many of its tributaries. Since their
completion, the dams have cumulatively prevented more than $20 billion in
flood damages to the Willamette Valley.
Although Corps dams only regulate about 27 percent of the water flowing into
the Willamette River, our efforts help reduce flood damage in the Willamette
River Basin, as well the North and South Santiam, McKenzie and Middle
Fork Willamette river tributary basins.
Spillway gates and reservoir restrictions
The Willamette Valley Project operates 42 spillway Tainter gates at 11 of its
dams. Concerns have grown in recent years after inspections identified
overstressed gates and their components. As part of the Corps’ ongoing dam
safety and infrastructure rehabilitation program, the Corps will repair or
replace all 42 Tainter gates over the next several years. Until this work is
completed, the Corps will restrict the amount of water held in the
reservoirs behind Cougar and Blue River dams to help ensure safe
operation of spillway gates during flood season, from November to
March.
Project Name Normal Full Pool Restricted Pool
Cougar 1,699 ft.* 1,671 ft.
Blue River 1,357 ft. 1,343 ft.
*elevations are feet above sea level

Corps engineers determined that the reduced reservoir levels decrease the stress placed on the gates when the
reservoirs are full, allowing for continued safe operation. Public safety is the Corps’ first priority.
These restrictions serve as interim measures to reduce risk and are not long-term solutions. They are important steps to
minimizing the probability of gate failure or other consequences until the Corps can implement a permanent fix.
While the Corps plans to generally operate the dams much the same as in any other flood season, these pool restrictions
reduce capacity and contributes to a systemwide capacity reduction as well. Since the reservoirs cannot hold as much
water during large storms or a series of storms, the Corps may have to release more water. River flows downstream of
the dams, while likely remaining within the banks of the Blue, mainstem McKenzie and South Fork McKenzie rivers, could
be higher than normal for longer periods, depending on the amount and duration of rain events systemwide.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – PORTLAND DISTRICT

P.O. BOX 2946, PORTLAND, OR, 97204-2946
WWW.NWP.USACE.ARMY.MIL