Wednesday June 14, 2023
KLCC —
A structure on the Long Tom River near Monroe is slated for removal, but first officials want public input. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers partnered with the city of Monroe and the Tribe of Siletz to study what’s called the Monroe Drop Structure.
Also called a low barrier dam, it was built in the 1940s as part of the Fern Ridge Dam project to manage the Willamette River system.
The structure is the first barrier that salmon encounter on their way upriver. Removing it will help restore habitat and river health.
Elliott Porter, a planner with the Portland District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said they looked at a number of alternatives to get fish around or over the structure. The preferred alternative was to remove the structure.
The Corps wants to hear from the public before making a final decision.