Bynum Leads Effort to Protect Clean Drinking Water for Oregon Communities

Washington, DC - Yesterday, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) led a letter along with Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), urging the District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Colonel Larry Caswell Jr., to ensure impacted communities are fully prepared before beginning work on the Detroit Reservoir deep drawdown which is scheduled for later this year.

The lawmakers expressed concerns over recent findings from the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement ("SEIS"), indicating that the drawdown would mobilize sediment and pass it downstream, potentially harming local water systems and impacting the availability of clean drinking water.

In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized that varying levels of resilience and preparedness currently exist across affected water systems. They argue that in order to preserve public health and safety, the Corps must allow affected communities to execute the infrastructure and operational improvements necessary to maintain safe and reliable drinking water service before implementing the Detroit Reservoir deep drawdown.

"[M]anagement of the Willamette Valley System must balance fish recovery objectives with the public health, safety, and economic needs of Oregon communities. Success should be measured not only by our ability to strengthen salmon recovery, but by whether every downstream community can still turn on the tap with confidence," the lawmakers wrote."We have heard serious and repeated concerns from local governments, public water providers, emergency managers, and community stakeholders in the North Santiam Canyon and throughout Marion County regarding the potential impacts of the proposed drawdown on turbidity, drinking water reliability, public health, and critical infrastructure."

Earlier this year, Rep. Bynum successfully led a letter along with Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) requesting additional time for community engagement on the USACE proposed drawdown of Detroit Reservoir.

This letter is part of her ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of Oregonians and ensure they have a voice in decisions that affect their communities.

The full text of the letter is available HERE.

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