Newport Council Approves Cheaper Big Creek Dams Plan

The Newport City Council unanimously approved two alternative approaches for the Big Creek Dams project Monday, May 13, 2026, shifting away from a design that ballooned to $185 million.

The council will advance either remediating both dams or remediating the upper dam and removing the lower dam. Both alternatives cost between $30 million and $77 million, depending on fish passage requirements. Engineers will conduct additional studies and refine cost estimates before the council selects a final approach at an undetermined date.

The state Oregon Water Resources Department classified both earthen dams as unsafe or potentially unsafe due to weak soils beneath them. A seismic event could trigger failure and downstream flooding. The city must complete corrective work by the end of 2036.

Dam #1, built in 1951, holds 57 million gallons. Dam #2, built in 1969, holds 270 million gallons. Both supply water to Newport.

The city received $14 million in state funding in October 2022 for design and permitting. In December 2022, Congress authorized $60 million in federal funding, though no federal money has been appropriated.