Corps of Engineers says Oregon Dam could inundate communities downstream in major earthquake The Weather Channel – Articles from The Weather Channel

Detroit Dam drainage can be breached, and the report cites the dam’s proximity to the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and the fault is capable of triggering a major earthquake.

A major earthquake could unleash “catastrophic” flooding from a dam in Oregon that would threaten the state capital and other downstream communities, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Officials said the dam near the town of Detroit, 45 miles southeast of Salem, was not in danger of failing.

“People downstream in the Detroit Dam should feel really confident in the condition of this infrastructure,” Dustin Bengtson, deputy project manager for the Willamette Valley Project at Corps, told the Statesman Journal. “We are only very conservative in our assessment of the risks due to the critical values ​​and the thousands of people who live downstream.”

The Corps released a draft environmental assessment this month calling for a reduction of maximum water levels in the dam’s reservoir by 5 feet to reduce pressure on the gates of the drainage.

“There is a slight possibility of a major earthquake that could breach the drainage channel,” the report said. “However, the breach could lead to potentially catastrophic flooding if it occurs and the risk is high enough to warrant immediate action.”

(More: Oregon launches earthquake warning system)

The report notes that the dam is located about 150 miles east of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 600-mile fault that stretches from Northern California to British Columbia, and is capable of causing very large earthquakes.

Information on the Oregon website indicates that the fault has the potential to trigger an earthquake of greater than magnitude 9.0. Scientists expect that there will be a 37% chance of an earthquake greater than 7.1 magnitude occurring in the fault zone over the next 50 years, according to the state.

The Corps report says vibration from a large earthquake could cause the gates of the dam’s drainage stream to curve. The water level reduction plan is a temporary solution while experts study the dam.

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“The chances of a breach at the moment are very low. We want to take it to a lower level,” Ross Henner, director of the Dam Safety Program at the Corps, told the Statesman Journal.

But this step is not without controversy. Lowering reservoir water levels could affect boat ramps and sidewalks, which Detroit Mayor Jim Treat fears could affect tourism in his community.

“Unfortunately, 5 feet is huge for us,” Treet said.

The town was devastated by a forest fire last year that destroyed dozens of homes and other buildings. Reconstruction efforts are still underway.

“It’s just another blow in our eyes and the community,” Triet told KOIN-TV.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report breaking weather news, the environment, and the importance of science in our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of the parent company, IBM.

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