OREGON IS seeking emergency funding of US$42M from the US federal government to carry out repairs at the Fern Ridge dam. In December the US army Corps of Engineers (USACE)lowered the pool level at the dam by 13.5m. The lowering of the pool level was prompted by increased sediment discharges from the dam's seepage collector drains. An independent review board convened by the USACE has concluded that the 63 year old Fern Ridge dam is in an active state of failure by piping and/or internal erosion and that the reservoir elevation should be restricted to no higher than 110m level until the dam is repaired or until short-term mitigation measures can be implemented.
