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QuickTake:
Eugene Springfield Fire crews ran water rescue drills July 18 on the area of a river between the two cities. A low-head dam in the area, which isn’t visible from the surface of the water, has created a hazard for those recreating on the river.
Eugene Springfield Fire’s water rescue team conducted drills on the Willamette River at the low-head dam Friday, July 18 — training at an area known for trapping unsuspecting river users in powerful currents.
“I’ve never seen them practice like this,” said Mike McFarlane, who spends much of his personal time at the river, warning people of the dangers.
McFarlane and several other advocates have long called for government action on the low-head dam, a feature that is sometimes called a “drowning machine.” He called the drills on Friday “encouraging.”
Several passersby in east Alton Baker Park stopped to watch as two jet boats — each with three to five rescue personnel aboard — and an inflatable raft worked the stretch of river near the dam. The Lane County Sheriff’s Office marine patrol, which also operates rescue boats, was not part of Friday’s drill.
“This is a good idea of [the available] resources every time someone goes down,” said McFarlane, who is a communications specialist for the Lane County chapter of the International Association of Firefighters Local 851.
Mike McFarlane watches as Eugene Springfield Fire’s water rescue team runs drills near the low-head dam on the Willamette River with jet boats and a raft on July 18, 2025. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene – Springfield 
Eugene Springfield Fire’s water rescue team runs drills on the Willamette River near the low-head dam with jet boats and a raft on July 18, 2025. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene – Springfield 
Eugene Springfield Fire’s water rescue team runs drills on the Willamette River near the low-head dam with jet boats and a raft on July 18, 2025. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene – Springfield 
Eugene Springfield Fire’s water rescue team runs drills on the Willamette River near the low-head dam with jet boats and a raft on July 18, 2025. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene – Springfield 
Eugene Springfield Fire’s water rescue team runs drills on the Willamette River near the low-head dam with jet boats and a raft on July 18, 2025. Credit: Ashli Blow / Lookout Eugene – Springfield
Rescue teams remain busy on both the Willamette and McKenzie rivers, especially on the stretch of the Willamette between Clearwater Park in Springfield and Alton Baker Park in Eugene, where hazards include both the low-head dam and natural obstacles like trees and rocks.
Since the July Fourth holiday, two people have drowned in separate incidents on the Willamette: a woman who lost her float and a man who was swimming.
A spokesperson for Eugene Springfield Fire said water rescue trainings are routine for the department’s water rescue team.
