Corps of Engineers

Muddy streams and the future of dams

Written November 18th, 2023 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 5 responses.

The source of Albany’s drinking water continues to carry a lot of sediment or mud, but so far the stuff coming out of our taps is just as clear as always.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: Albany water, Corps of Engineers, drinking water, fish runs, Green Peter Reservoir, Santiam Canal

The mud flows in the Willamette, too

Written November 9th, 2023 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 11 responses.

It’s not just the South Santiam River and the Albany-Santiam Canal that are running dirty brown these days. The Willamette River water is almost as muddy as the canal.

Posted in: Bicycling, Commentary, News
Tags: Bowman Park, Corps of Engineers, drawdowns, Green Peter, Lookout Point, muddy watter, Santiam Canal, South Santiam River, Willamette River

Flooding in May? Well, yes, at Bryant Park

Written May 9th, 2022 by Hasso Hering

Comments: one response.

Only a couple of days ago the Willamette and Calapooia rivers overflowed their banks a little in Bryant Park. On Monday the water rose higher and flooded the upper road and parking lot as well.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Bryant Park, Corps of Engineers, spring flooding, Willamette dams, Willamette River

The water rose, but not too high

Written March 11th, 2017 by Hasso Hering

Comments: one response.

Stopping by Bowman Park on the Willamette River on Thursday and again Friday, I was reminded once again of one of the chief benefits of the upstream dams.

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Corps of Engineers, Willamette dams, Willamette Valley Project

Look at all that wasted rain

Written December 23rd, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 4 responses.

The flooding that had been forecast for the Willamette River over the last few days did not materialize. But there’s still a lot of water running down the river past Albany. Shouldn’t we try to store some of that water?

Posted in: Commentary, Videos
Tags: Corps of Engineers, dams, flooding, water conservation, water storage, weather, Willamette River

What’s up at Folsom Dam?

Written May 5th, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 2 responses.

If you’re traveling on Interstate 5 the next two nights, you might see a huge truck carrying equipment south. ODOT announced the oversize trip on Monday. And it’s more interesting — to me anyway — than just a big rig going down I-5. The truck, 137 feet long, two lanes wide and more than 14 feet […]

Posted in: Commentary, News
Tags: Corps of Engineers, Folsom Dam, Interstate 5, ODOT, spillway gates

Kafka’s ghost on Belmont street

Written March 11th, 2014 by Hasso Hering

Comments: 5 responses.

This barrier on Belmont Street in South Albany makes a handy place to lean a bike. It’s also a fine monument to how we have let ourselves become hobbled by essentially needless procedures when the federal government gets involved in construction jobs that may remotely affect fish or rare plants.

Posted in: Commentary
Tags: Albany city government, Belmont Street, Corps of Engineers, FEMA