Salem Files Motion For Preliminary Injunction To Further Protect Drinking Water - 08/21/26

SALEM, Ore. — As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure drinking water for Salem residents and businesses remains clean, plentiful and safe, we are taking further legal action to prevent the planned first deep drawdown of Detroit Reservoir this fall unless certain safeguards are put in place.

Today, the City of Salem today filed a motion for preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ planned drawdown this year or to not allow the drawdown to continue if the resulting level of sediment prevents us from filtering and processing the water.

“While our team has made every effort to ensure we can provide drinking water during a drawdown, the risks to our system need to be mitigated before such a drastic measure is taken,” said Krishna Namburi, Salem’s city manager. “I’m hopeful the court will help us protect our ability to serve our 220,000 water customers this fall.”

The City initially filed a lawsuit July 8 against the Corps challenging the Corps’ intended drawdown of Detroit Reservoir, a critical water source for Salem.

If successful, the motion for preliminary injunction would prevent the Corps from starting the process of deep drawdowns until final decisions on the initial case is made. The request for a preliminary injunction might also require the Corps to stop any drawdown if sediment levels reach a certain level that would cause irreparable harm to the City’s water treatment capabilities.

For more than a year, the City of Salem has actively engaged with the Corps, providing detailed feedback and proposing measures designed to protect and preserve the quality and quantity of Salem’s drinking water — not only today, but for future generations. Among the City’s key requests was a safeguard to pause or stop the drawdown when the amount of sediment in the North Santiam River harms Salem’s water treatment systems and would cause those systems to shut down.

Despite those efforts, the Corps is planning to proceed with the drawdown without incorporating these essential protections into their plan. The City of Salem argues that the Corps has also failed to fulfill its federal obligation to publish a study of the impacts of previous drawdowns, and to apply federal law in its analysis of the proposed drawdown.

The City of Salem is responsible for supplying safe and reliable drinking water to about 220,000 residents, as well as hospitals, schools, businesses and other critical infrastructure. Our service area includes the City of Turner, two water districts and portions of unincorporated Marion and Polk counties. We also provide water in sufficient quantities for firefighting and other emergency needs. This is the only emergency source of drinking water for the City of Stayton and the City of Keizer.

Read the full injunction

City Continues Management Plan As Invasive Beetle Is Detected In Salem - 08/06/26

SALEM, Ore. — A known invasive insect species has been identified for the first time in Salem following earlier detections in Marion County and other parts of Oregon. We have been anticipating this detection and planning for the arrival of the insect for several years.

Today, the Oregon Department of Forestry announced the first detection of the emerald ash borer, or EAB, in Salem, as well as Beaverton and Rockcreek. EAB is a harmful beetle that attacks and kills ash trees. It has spread across North America since it was first found in Michigan in 2002, destroying hundreds of millions of ash trees.

The first sightings of this beetle in Oregon occurred in 2022 near Forest Grove. Since then, surveys have found EAB in Woodburn and other parts of Marion County, and Marion County has been one of several counties under a permanent quarantine since 2024.

City staff discovered a suspected EAB in a trap in south Salem near West Fork Pringle Creek in July. The identification was confirmed by staff from ODF and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

We have been preparing for the arrival of EAB in the city for several years. An important first step was conducting an inventory of street, park and natural area ash trees. We identified nearly 4,000 ash trees along streets, in parks and in more than 400 acres of natural areas with a high density of ash.

We have also:

• Created and published an Emerald Ash Borer Readiness and Response Plan  
• Halted the planting of new ash trees
• Begun preemptive removal of ash trees in poor health
• Begun creating management plans for identified ash trees on City-owned property
• Begun injecting high-value ash trees to protect them from EAB

So far, City experts have injected insecticide into about 600 ash trees identified to be in good health to protect them from EAB. These injections began in Summer 2025 in the northern part of the city. Another 600 trees will be injected in Spring 2026. This process is highly effective at killing EAB and keeping trees alive through their natural lifespan if treatment is continued every 2-3 years.

The City of Salem will continue to carry out other work to mitigate and contain EAB, including:

• Underplanting in natural areas around ash trees
• Replacing removed ash trees along streets and parks with a wide variety of other species to add resilience and diversity to the urban canopy
• Providing education and outreach about EAB through social and print media and at community events

Learn more about Salem’s response plans

Once EAB is in a new area, it cannot be eradicated. The best we are able to do is to slow the spread of the insect, which can best be done by not moving firewood or other ash materials more than 10 miles from where it has been found and not moving ash outside of the quarantine zone. This currently includes the Marion County portion of Salem.

Salem’s EAB page provides a guide on how to identify ash trees. Residents can protect their trees by paying a certified pest applicator to inject it with insecticide. Other options include

• Removing the ash tree
• Replanting a different tree
• Underplanting the ash tree to ensure other native or appropriate landscape species will take its place.

For more information on management options, visit www.OregonEAB.com.

###

Exciting Improvements And Thrilling Additions Coming To Riverfront Park When Playground Reopens This September (Photo) - 08/05/26

Salem, Ore. — This fall, Riverfront Park welcomes area children to the City of Salem's first intentionally designed inclusive play space, where children of all abilities can swing, slide, scramble and socialize together. During construction, Salem’s Riverfront Carousel, the splash pad and the Rotary Pavilion remain open to the public, and public restrooms are available in Riverfront Park.

New playground equipment will be ready for kids by the end of September. From a new park path around the play space, families can watch progress on this new, inclusive playground with several features designed following conversations with Salem families. Installation is underway to include artificial turf that is easier on wheelchair users and reduces static electricity, which helps prevent interference with devices like cochlear implants. The playground will also feature the first “rock scramble” in a Salem park with real rocks.

While we make the playground improvements, we are also making electrical improvements throughout the park to better support large events at Riverfront Park and the annual holiday light display.

Community Input Helped Shape Design

City staff reached out to families who need inclusive options and based design decisions on their feedback. Special features include:

• A quieter, low-sensory zone called the Eagle’s Nest
• An all-inclusive accessible spinner
• A music station
• Fencing around the entire playground for families that need fully enclosed play space
• Rolling bars on one of the slides and specialized synthetic grass that safely reduces static electricity, helping prevent interference with devices like cochlear implants

The design also prioritizes accessibility and comfort for families and caregivers. Smooth paved pathways — including an extra-wide bridge — allow everyone to reach the second level of the main play structure. Multiple seating options are provided throughout the playground for caregivers, along with attractive landscaping and additional shade trees planted around the play area to create a welcoming and comfortable environment.

The playground’s theme centers on wildlife and nature. For example, a climbing structure made of logs will be called the Beaver Dam. Consistent with the future play elements envisioned in the park’s 2019 improvement plan, the playground also incorporates a rock scramble using natural boulders. The synthetic turf features color variations to evoke a watershed.

The playground’s entryway will feature circles on the pavement that are riddles. They feature animal motifs and can show visitors where in the playground they can find the image again.

The new playground will be bigger and separated from park paths, helping to minimize user conflicts. Instead, a new 12-foot-wide path now arcs around the playground through the south part of the South Meadow and is open for public use. This also encompasses a tree-filled area that will provide shade for informal picnics and opportunities to enjoy the park’s natural setting.

We are taking care to protect and preserve the park’s existing trees. The project was designed to minimize impacts, with only one tree initially planned for removal. After construction began and in consultation with City Urban Forestry staff, a second tree was determined necessary for removal. These removals were carefully considered and will be mitigated over time through the many new trees planted as part of the project.

Precautionary Boil Water Advisory Issued For 26 Homes In South Salem (Photo) - 07/29/26

All Other City of Salem Water Customers Do Not Need to Boil Water

SALEM, Ore. — A limited-area notice for residents to boil water before drinking it was issued to 26 homes in south Salem on Lansford Drive SE and 10^th Court SE July 29. The water in all other areas of the City of Salem is safe to drink and use.

Shortly after 8 a.m. July 29, the affected 26 homes experienced a brief interruption of water pressure during a routine water main construction project at the corner of Commercial Street SE and Langford Drive SE. Residents of those homes have or will receive information at their door on the nature of the event and guidance on how to proceed safely.

Those affected have been directed to bring water to a rolling boil for one full minute, allow the water to cool before using and store the cooled water in a clean container with a cover. Affected residents should use boiled water that has cooled or bottled water for:

• Drinking
• Brushing teeth
• Washing fruits and vegetables
• Preparing food and baby formula
• Making ice
• Cleaning food contact surfaces

City Water Distribution staff will be flushing water mains in the affected area and collecting bacteriological samples. Sample results are expected by the evening of July 30. Residents will receive information regarding test results and the end of the boil order by a door hanger delivered by City of Salem staff.

No other areas of the Salem water system were affected by the pressure interruption.

Oregon Health Authority rules require a Boil Water Notice be issued as a precautionary measure if system pressure is lost. This notice will be in effect until water within the affected area is verified safe by bacteriological testing.

For more information on the City’s drinking water, see our Drinking Water page, https://www.cityofsalem.net/community/household/water-utilities/salem-s-drinking-water. If you are ever unsure about your water, call Public Works Dispatch at any time at 503-588-6311.

Traffic Alert: Street Closure Planned For One-Day Event In Downtown Salem Aug. 1 - 07/29/26

Salem, Ore. — The City of Salem is alerting the public about street closures related to a planned one-day event on Saturday, Aug. 1, in downtown Salem. The permitted event will see the closure of Chemeketa Street NE between Commercial Street NE and Liberty Street NE and between Liberty Street NE and Hight Street NE from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Liberty Street NE will remain open to through traffic.

Drivers should expect increased pedestrian traffic and some delays. Temporary signage indicating road closures and lane restrictions will be in place. Drivers are asked to plan accordingly and seek alternate routes during the event. Please drive safely and watch for an increase in pedestrians in the area.

During the event, pedestrians will need to follow all pedestrian and traffic signals when crossing Liberty Street NE.

Closure Details

• Date: Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026
• Time: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Affected Streets: Chemeketa Street NE
   

The City of Salem appreciates your cooperation and patience during this event and is committed to ensuring the safety and accessibility for all residents and visitors.