A Flood of Support: Collaborative Cultural Resources Management at the Willamette Valley Project, US Army Corps of Engineers

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Future Directions for Archaeology and Heritage Research in the Willamette Valley, Oregon" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Willamette Valley Project (WVP) is a Corps-managed flood risk management system composed of 13 dams and reservoirs spread across six subbasins in the upper Willamette River watershed. The construction of the dam system occurred 1940–1969 and subsequent operation inundated lands indigenous groups had inhabited for thousands of years and settler communities for the most recent 200 years. The Corps succeeded in decreasing flooding in the Willamette Valley, but ultimately displaced several mid-twentieth-century communities, modified the environment, and altered access to many important resources. Human land-use patterns throughout the basin changed significantly as a result. The Corps is one of many management entities within the Willamette River watershed, and there are numerous stakeholders with vested interests in the physical manifestations of the long-term human use of the six subbasins. To effectively manage cultural resources across such a large land base and in such a unique environment, the Corps partners with academic institutions, tribes, other agencies, local communities, and the public. These cooperative research and management ventures aim to understand the complex history of the region as well as conduct work that is socially relevant and aligns with the spirit and requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Future Directions for Archaeology and Heritage Research in the Willamette Valley, Oregon   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35832.0