Date: July 26th 2010

Update: Minto Fish Facility Open House Set for August 10

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Oregon State Marine Board will host a public information meeting on the rebuilding of the Corps’ Minto Adult Fish Collection Facility on the North Santiam River on Tuesday, Aug. 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lyons City Hall Council Chambers, 449 Fifth Street, Lyons.

The Corps will begin rebuilding the Minto facility in January 2011 to provide a new fish collection system that meets federal criteria for upstream passage for fish listed under the Endangered Species Act. The Corps is using criteria specific to Chinook salmon, winter steelhead, and summer steelhead in designs for a fish ladder, pre-sort pool, holding/acclimation ponds and sorting facility. It will also provide a safer working environment for the facility operators as the aging facility has become unsafe.

The public is invited to drop by the open house at any time to meet with agency staff and ask questions. A short presentation on the project will begin at 6:30 p.m. Representatives from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon State Patrol Fish and Wildlife will also be on hand.

Through August, the Marine Board is seeking public comment on the Corps’ request to close a 2.4 miles stretch of the North Santiam River near the Minto facility during the two-year construction project.

The low-head dam at the Minto fish trap is already a hazard to the occasional kayaker or rafter who runs this section, according to the Marine Board. The dam creates a strong "washing machine" at the bottom that easily entraps boaters who navigate it. Coffer dams and other construction activities will increase the danger. The Board therefore accepted the Corps request for a closure that would, if adopted, be in place until April of 2013 when the project is slated for completion.

The boating closure is proposed for the area between Niagara Falls and Packsaddle Park, an area of about 2.4 river miles. There are no developed boating facilities between Packsaddle Park and Big Cliff Dam, and long sections of the river are flanked by private land preventing public access closer to the actual construction site.

Comments on the proposed closure will be accepted by the Marine Board August 1-31. An open house/public hearing will be held August 10, 6-8 p.m., at the Lyons City Hall Council Chambers, 449 Fifth Street, Lyons. Written comments may be sent to the Board during this time frame via e-mail (marine.board@state.or.us), mail (OSMB, PO Box 14145, Salem OR 97381) or fax at (503) 378-4597.

Later this summer, the Corps will accept public comments on the Minto draft Environmental Assessment which will address the impacts associated with the rebuilding activity. The complete public notice and the document, when available, will be posted at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e/en_plan_assess.asp. Information on submitting written comments on the Environmental Assessment will be available on this Web site.

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