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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (July 29, 2021)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL | JULY 29, 2021 | 11A LAKES from A1 The Army Corps of En- gineer’s “water control di- agram” sets the ideal water levels throughout the year. From mid-May to the beginning of September, water is to be maintained at the lakes’ highest conser- vation levels. Fall requires a gradual drop and, through the winter, water levels are maintained at their lowest point. On Feb. 1, lake levels are allowed to begin climb- ing back along a curve up to the maximum pool. This year, both Cottage Grove and Dorena lakes were able to follow the refill curve back up until April when each fell short and continued to decline. Congressional edict sets the water management re- quirements of dammed lakes. “And that’s why when sometimes people say, ‘Well, why don’t you fill it earlier?’ or, ‘Let it be full later,’ we will say, ‘Well, this literally would take an act of Congress to change the way we operate the dam, because that’s how they were authorized to be oper- ated,’” said Johnson. Tom Conning, a pub- lic affairs specialist for the Portland district of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, further pointed out that recent weather history il- lustrates why these curves were designed the way they are. In 2019, for instance, there was an April rain- storm. April stands at a point where the recom- mended levels are still ris- ing on the water control curve. “If we had adjusted be- cause we thought, ‘Oh, it’s looking dry, let’s just refill and not release any water,’ then we would have had that storm event come in and we wouldn’t have been able to reduce some of the downstream flooding from that,” he said. “So, there’s a recent event that illustrates why these curves are in place.” Still, reaching ideal levels each summer has been a challenge. In the past seven years, Cottage Grove Reservoir has only filled to its rec- ommended summer maxi- mum pool twice — in 2017 and 2020. And while the Army Corps of Engineers main- tains lake levels by con- trolling outflow through its Magnolia Gardens invites you to join us for a fundraising... dams, the rate of outflow for both area lakes has been set to the minimum since late March — 75 cubic feet per second at Cottage Grove Lake and 100 for Dorena Lake, meaning water levels cannot be controlled any more than they already are. Minimum outflows are set with downstream ecol- ogy in mind. Low water levels can negatively impact wildlife and water quality, a necessary concern especial- ly considering Dorena Lake serves as source of water for Cottage Grove. Policy restrictions aside, this year’s drought condi- tions are largely to blame for the low lake levels. The Willamette Basin relies heavily on rainfall to refill its reservoirs. Dorena and Cottage Grove lakes are no exception and can- not depend on snow melt to meet desired levels. “Snow is not a significant contributor for many of our reservoirs, but especially the ones in the Coast Fork watershed,” said Johnson. For the rain-driven sys- tem, this year has produced exceptionally low levels of precipitation. “We had some good rain in February, but then in SOUTH LANE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE Walk to End Alzheimer’s SAVE MONEY. SAVE LIVES. Sunday, September 10, 2021 at Alton Baker Park , 100 Day Island Rd., Eugene, OR Walk With Us! March, it started tapering off,” said Johnson. “And so we really rely a lot on that inflow in April and May to get that final fill. And we didn’t get that.” Conning added that fires can contribute to lower lake levels as well. “Some of these water- sheds, with these massive fires, are probably even worse in the sense that snow melt might not even make it to the reservoir for inflow just because it’s be- ing absorbed more quickly,” he said. “So, there are a lot of other factors that con- tribute to that, too.” As a broader trend, the nation’s continental West is overall getting warmer, see- ing more varied rain events, experiencing a rise in the snowline and seeing earlier spring snow melts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin- istration’s National Centers for Environmental Infor- mation shows a marked rise in average summer high temperatures between 1991 and 2020. In the long term, annual average temperature trends in the region have also seen a gradual increase between 1895 and 2020. With the heat, the area is getting drier as well. Though drought record- ings in Oregon dating back to 1895 show that swings between dry and wet peri- ods are frequent, March 1 through May 31 this year marked the driest meteoro- logical spring on record. Over the past 45 years, many areas have had in- creases in the average time without precipitation events, which means not only drier summers, but during the other seasons as well. Natural phenomena have had an effect this year, too. The relatively weak turnout this last season of the cli- mate pattern La Nina, for example, impacted the lack of precipitation this year while a stronger presence may have meant a wetter period. Johnson pointed out that the low lake levels could pose safety risks as well. Ex- posed shoreline forces peo- ple to walk out farther than they would normally in some areas and engage with some potentially hazardous topography. “And when the water lev- el is low, people in boats need to be more cautious about potential obstacles, things that they might not normally see this time of year, like trees down for a shallow area,” Johnson said. “Or there could be a little island exposed that’s not normally there, and people really need to watch out for that.” Additionally, the pub- lic is encouraged to wear life jackets as there may be greater traffic density on lakes as they shrink. Those looking to use boat ramps should plan ahead to make sure they are accessi- ble. Daily updates to the Wil- lamette Basin water levels can be found at www.nwd- wc.usace.army.mil/nwp/ teacup/willamette. Sign up at Magnolia Gardens and join our team in taking steps to find a cure. Ground Ambulance Memberships $65 per year When you join our team you’ll receive a free team t-shirt and invitations to fundraising events prior to the September walk. n The Northwest’s Finest Gardening Seed n Flowers, Herbs, & Shrubs Ground Ambulance & Air Membership Invite your friends and family and make a difference. $124 per year For more information on our walk team, call Ruth Tracey at All proceeds go to the Alzheimer’s Association. 541-942-0054 1425 Daugherty Ave., Cottage Grove, OR 97424 • MagnoliaGardensSL.com n Vegetable Transplants n Fruit Trees Call 541-942-4493 for info. FOR EMERGENCY DIAL 911 Serving South Lane County. T 20 Palmer Ave. n Cottage Grove n (541) 942-0510 We Are Better Together As we look to a new year, we’re celebrating what connects us as a community, and what we can do to bridge our divides. From virtual events and local perspectives to cultural insights and conversation starters, we invite you to join us in making our community better, together. Help rebuild our economy by supporting these and other local businesses! AUTO DEALERSHIP Brad’s Cottage Grove Chevrolet 2775 Row River Rd 541-942-4415 AUTOMOTIVE Huddle Automotive Repair 80408 Delight Valley School Rd 541-942-2521 CARPET CLEANING Quality Cleaning, Inc PO Box 665 Creswell 541-942-0420 INSURANCE Farmers Insurance 330 Hwy 99, STE C 541-942-0165 State Farm Insurance - Matt Bjornn 1481 Gateway Blvd 541-942-2623 JEWELRY APPRAISAL The Jewelry Girl, LLC 2001 Franklin Blvd, Eugene 541-556-9598 LANDSCAPE SERVICES CHAMBER Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce 836 E. Main 541-942-2411 COMPUTER REPAIR Martinez Yard Sevices, LLC Cottage Grove 541-579-0454 Prasada Landscapes LLC P.O. Box 341 Cottage Grove 541-731-8528 MEDICAL CLINIC PC Garage 711 E. Main St. 541-649-1073 EMERGENCY SERVICES South Lane Fire & Rescue 233 Harison Avenue 541-942-4493 GUN SHOP Emerald Valley Armory 147 E. Oregon Avenue Creswell 541-895-2666 Camas Swale Medical Clinic 170 Melton Rd. Creswell 541-658-5301 NEWSPAPER Cottage Grove Sentinel P.O. Box 35 Cottage Grove, OR 97424 541-942-3325 www.cgsentinel.com NON-PROFIT Rotary Club of Cottage Grove Oregon P.O. Box 424 Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424 541-554-6946 ORTHODONTICS Thornton Orthodontics Magnolia Gardens Senior Living 1425 Daugherty 541.942.0054 Middlefield Oaks Senior Living 1500 Village Dr 541-767-0080 VISION CARE 195 Melton Rd. Creswell 541-686-1732 PUMP SERVICES Ervin Family Pump Service, LLC 571 S 8th St. Cottage Grove, OR 97424 541-649-8100 RETAIL Free Rein on Main 1601 W. Main St 541-649-1240 Territorial Seed Company Store 20 Palmer Ave 541-942-0510 The Flower Basket & Gift Boutique 119 S. 6th St 541-942-0505 The UPS Store 1498 E Main St Ste 103 541-767-0888 SENIOR LIVING Pacific Clear Vision 257 N. 8th St 541.942.5000 YOUTH SERVICES Looking Glass Youth & Family Services Rural Program 508 E. Whiteaker www.lookingglass.us 541-767-3823 Crisis Line 541-689-3111