SALEM, Ore. — The Marion County Board of Commissioners announced Wednesday that the county has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking to halt the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from moving forward with plans to drain Detroit Lake until the agency completes a federally required turbidity report and allows for informed public comment.
County leaders made the announcement during a regularly scheduled Board Session, arguing the Army Corps has failed to meet a congressional requirement to study lessons learned from turbidity issues caused by the earlier draining of Green Peter Lake. According to the county, the report is now more than four months overdue.
The Army Corps’ proposal would lower Detroit Lake to levels that county officials say could threaten water supplies used for municipal, agricultural, recreational, and environmental purposes. Marion County leaders also warned that increased turbidity — or murkiness in the water caused by suspended sediment — could damage downstream water systems and force cities such as Salem and Stayton to spend millions on infrastructure repairs and upgrades.
In December 2025 and January 2026, the county submitted multiple formal letters to the Army Corps expressing concerns and requesting changes to the proposal.
“The damage to downstream water systems due to the Army Corps’ irresponsible draining of Green Peter Lake was not theoretical,” said Marion County Commissioner Colm Willis, chair of the board. “It was real, it was catastrophic, and it caused millions of dollars in damages to downstream water systems in the cities of Lebanon and Sweet Home.”
Willis added that Salem has already declared an emergency related to the issue and that smaller communities are working to avoid similar impacts to their drinking water systems.
Commissioner Kevin Cameron emphasized concerns over drinking water safety, saying residents depend on “clean, reliable drinking water” and that the Army Corps should complete the legally required turbidity analysis before proceeding with any actions that could pose risks to local communities.
County officials also pointed to environmental concerns stemming from the 2023 deep drawdown at Green Peter Lake, where more than one million kokanee salmon were reportedly lost. The county said Army Corps biologists confirmed many of the fish died from barotrauma caused by rapid pressure changes during the draining process.
According to the county, the current Detroit Lake proposal acknowledges potential harm to fish populations but does not fully examine the broader ecological impacts of a large-scale fish kill.
Commissioner Danielle Bethell said the lawsuit is intended to ensure decisions affecting Detroit Lake are based on science and include protections for downstream communities.
“Any changes to Detroit Lake’s water level must be grounded in data-backed science with meaningful protections in place for our downstream communities,” Bethell said. “We will continue working to ensure that decisions made at the federal level align with the needs of local communities, focusing on drinking water and our canyon recovery.”
The lawsuit also highlights economic concerns for communities in the Santiam Canyon that continue to recover from the 2020 Labor Day wildfires. County officials said recreation at Detroit Lake remains a critical part of the region’s economy and warned that lowering the reservoir during the fall and winter months could further impact local businesses and recreation access.
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