Dear
Friend,
For
decades,
stakeholders
and
community
leaders
in
Washington
County
have
been
working
hard
to
make
much-needed
upgrades
and
repairs
to
Scoggins
Dam.
These
repairs
are
critical
to
protecting
our
communities
if
a
large
earthquake
hits,
and
to
ensuring
we
have
enough
drinking,
and
irrigation
water
to
meet
the
demands
of
a
fast-growing
part
of
our
state
while
protecting
local
ecosystems
and
wildlife.
Recently,
we
took
a
big
step
forward
in
getting
this
work
done.
In
December,
the
Senate
passed
legislation
that
will
allocate
resources
and
raise
the
funding
cap
for
infrastructure
projects,
like
Scoggins
Dam,
that
would
retrofit
dams
for
earthquake
safety.
The
legislation
also
allows
flexibility
for
state
and
local
funding
to
create
additional
project
benefits,
such
as
constructing
additional
water
storage,
during
the
infrastructure
upgrade.
Learn
more
about
our
work
to
improve
Oregon's
local
infrastructure
>>
"Merkley,
Wyden,
Bonamici
Announce
Support
for
Scoggins
Dam
in
Key
Legislation"
Scoggins
Dam
has
been
classified
as
one
of
the
most
seismically
at-risk
dams
that
the
Bureau
of
Reclamation
manages.
This
classification
means
that
failure
of
the
dam
due
to
a
large
earthquake
could
result
in
significant
damages
or
even
loss
of
life
to
communities
if
it
is
not
upgraded.
As
a
member
of
the
Senate
Appropriations
Committee,
it's
my
job
to
make
sure
our
spending
priorities
as
a
nation
reflect
Oregon's
priorities.
An
arbitrary
cap
for
funding
dam
safety
should
not
stand
in
the
way
of
repairs
and
improvements
that
could
save
lives
in
the
event
of
an
earthquake.
Washington
County
has
been
working
to
make
necessary
improvements
and
repairs
to
Scoggins
Dam
for
years,
and
this
legislation
puts
the
future
of
Scoggins
Dam
back
in
the
hands
of
the
local
community.
This
is
a
great
step,
but
there's
still
more
work
ahead
to
make
Oregon
safer
and
improve
our
local
infrastructure.
I
look
forward
to
fighting
for
our
Oregon
priorities
in
2016.
All
my
best,
Jeff
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