When you first hear the word “Detroit”, the first thought that comes to mind is the once-bustling Michigan city that now sits in a cloud of bankruptcy and demise. But although Detroit, Michigan, has had its fair share of problems, there’s a different kind of Detroit out here in the Pacific Northwest, one with a lot of opportunity and a whole new set of challenges.

Detroit, Oregon, with a population of just 200 in the gloomy winter months and over 2000 in the booming summer months, was once a bustling timber town with family wage jobs and an economic model supported by state and federal lands. But as that timberland disappeared, so did the jobs, people, and vitality of the city.

Jump to today, January 2015, and Detroit’s opportunities are blatantly obvious.

Detroit Lake (technically Detroit Reservoir) is one of the most heavily used lakes for recreational boating, boosting Detroit’s population by thousands in the summer months. But with a city packed to the brim in these months, where is the lodging, amenities, restaurants, and, of course, the lovely brew pubs?

It all comes down to the three basin rule: a policy fostered through the Department of Environmental Quality, restricting water discharge into the Clackamas, McKenzie & North Santiam rivers. Originally created to keep mining and other impurities out of Salem’s drinking water source, it has now become one of the largest economic barriers for the city of Detroit and, further on, the Santiam Canyon Region.

Now you may ask, “What does the discharge of water have to do with my much needed brew pub?” Well, for that brew pub to exist, it needs a place to discharge its waste water such as a restroom!

Currently, all of the businesses and residents rely on septic tanks for their individual sewer treatment needs, but without the implementation of a city-wide sewer treatment facility, the brew pubs, coffee shops, and gourmet restaurants will never come.

Detroit is landlocked. Surrounded by state and federal forest, the city has limited options on the installation of a sewer treatment facility. And because of the three basin rule, Detroit cannot discharge water into the North Santiam River, even if the water going into the river is cleaner than the water already there.

So, what can Detroit do? Well, there are a couple options:

1. Contact the Army Corps Of Engineers. This would solve just about every problem (other than funding). The CoE owns a 40-acre property near Detroit. This could serve as the much-needed drainage site, but attaining this land is the key problem. With no previous relationships between the CoE and city, attaining the land at a reasonable cost may be extremely challenging.
2. Form a relationship with DEQ. Another long shot, but forming this relationship may allow for some flexibility in the three basin rule. Allowing discharge into the Santiam would clear up all of Detroit’s drainage site issues, but it could also pose unforeseen risks in the future if it is not maintained properly.
3. Use the “Old School Site” Property. Where Detroit’s elementary school was once held, this property has the ability to serve the commercial district. The city, however, already has plans to turn this area into a park, and a fragmented approach to this problem may be troublesome in the future.

So what should the city do? Well just like many other public and non-profit entities, the city must collaborate. Detroit, like many other small rural communities, will not have its voice heard alone, but a strategic, collaborative effort among multiple organizations may be just what Detroit needs to become the “Sisters” of the Western Cascades.

About the Author: Dan Lokic was born and raised in Chicago, where he completed his degree in Urban and Public Affairs from the University of Illinois. With previous experience in local government and private consulting, Dan’s passions include sustainable economic development, catalyzing community prosperity, collaborating with diverse actors, and creating an economic development model that coincides with the preservation and enhancement of America’s natural resources. Currently, Dan is in the RARE AmeriCorps Program serving with Marion County Community Services Department as the Rural Access Coordinator. On his off time, Dan likes to hike, camp, fish, kayak, and find any reason to be outdoors.