Fight to preserve Leaburg Lake continues

LEABURG: Bob Weeks, chair of Neighbors For Neighbors, says his group has been refining its strategies for convincing the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) to reconsider its year-old decision to remove the Leaburg Dam. At a January 21st meeting, Weeks said his group has gathered over 1,400 signatures in a survey opposing the dam removal and has engaged with various stakeholders, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Oregon Department of Energy, as well as state and county officials.

At the meeting, Weeks highlighted several key points: the dam’s current low-risk status, the potential $200 million cost to taxpayers if the dam is removed, and the importance of maintaining local power generation capacity. Discussions also covered environmental concerns, water rights issues, and the impact on local transportation infrastructure. Several community members shared personal experiences about past water level changes and environmental impacts.

In February, the group plans to take their concerns for a presentation before the EWEB commissioners. “We’re just saying, look, we’d like this to be looked at again because we don’t think this decision is right.,” Weeks said. “There’s a lot of people with different opinions, so the whole point is to try and get everyone on the same table to make sure that we are making the right decision and taking this dam down.”