Albany to Begin Winter Testing of Santiam-Albany Canal

The canal was dug by hand in the 1870s.

Photo: City of Albany

(ALBANY) - City of Albany staff and consulting engineers and hydrologists will return to the Santiam-Albany Canal this winter to continue checking the stability of the stream banks and looking for problems.

The city started a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the canal in late September by increasing the water level while looking for problems that might result.

Continuing with the test in the wet weather season, surveyors will set benchmarks for global positioning systems, and city staff and consultants will walk the length of the 18-mile canal to check it visually.

People who own or rent property adjacent to the canal are asked to observe conditions along the canal, watching in particular for cracks in the banks; sloughing; ponding or seepage into their yards; and blocked culverts or other obstructions.

By identifying problems and fixing them, the city hopes to restore the canal to a condition that allows it to carry more water to the Vine Street Water Treatment Plant.

The Santiam-Albany Canal brings water from the South Santiam River above Lebanon to provide drinking water for the cities of Lebanon and Albany and some of rural Linn County.

In Albany, the canal supplements the city’s primary water supply, the Albany-Millersburg Water Treatment Plant, and is an important element of the city’s water rights.

Anyone who sees problems in or near the canal at any time this winter should contact Chris Bailey, Albany Water Quality Control Supervisor, at (541) 917-7629.

If the call is answered by a voice mail message, the caller should leave their name, phone number, the date and time of the call, and the location of the area of concern.

Give specific information so city crews can respond quickly.