Blue River Reservoir
| Blue River Reservoir | |
|---|---|
_(lanDB3819).jpg) | |
  Blue River Reservoir  Blue River Reservoir | |
| Location | Lane County, Oregon, about 42 miles (68 km) east of Springfield |
| Coordinates | 44°10′19″N 122°19′49″W / 44.17194°N 122.33028°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Blue River |
| Primary outflows | Blue River |
| Catchment area | 88 sq mi (230 km2) |
| Max. length | 6.4 mi (10.3 km) |
| Surface area | 935 acres (378 ha), 1,420 acres (570 ha) when full |
| Average depth | 91 ft (28 m) |
| Max. depth | 248 ft (76 m) |
| Water volume | 85,000 acre⋅ft (105,000,000 m3)[1] |
| Residence time | 3 months[1] |
| Shore length1 | 17 mi (27 km)[1] |
| Surface elevation | 1,350 ft (410 m)[1] |
| Settlements | Blue River, an unincorporated community |
| References | [2][3][4] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Blue River Reservoir is an artificial impoundment, about 6 miles (10 km) long, of the Blue River in Lane County in the U.S. state of Oregon.[2][5] The reservoir is about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Oregon Route 126 in the Willamette National Forest about 45 miles (72 km) east of Eugene.[1]
In 1968 the United States Army Corps of Engineers built Blue Lake Dam and Saddle Dam about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the mouth of the Blue River on the McKenzie River to create a reservoir for flood control and irrigation.[1][6] Despite frequent blooms of blue-green algae,[7][8] the lake is heavily used for recreation.[4] Trout are the principal fish, supplemented from local hatcheries.[2]
Recreation
[edit]Blue River Reservoir is used for fishing, boating, swimming, and waterskiing.[1] The United States Forest Service manages Mona Campground, on the north side of the reservoir, and Lookout Campground, on the northeast side.[4] The Forest Service also manages two launching sites for motorized and non-motorized boats, one near Lookout Campground and the other near Saddle Dam on the south shore.[4] The reservoir supports populations of native coastal cutthroat trout and stocked rainbow trout.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Johnson, Daniel M.; Petersen, Richard R.; Lycan, D. Richard; Sweet, James W.; Neuhaus, Mark E. & Schaedel, Andrew L. (1985). Atlas of Oregon Lakes. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. p. 157. ISBN 0-87071-343-4.
- ^ a b c d "Willamette National Forest Lake Fishing: Blue River Reservoir". U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012.
- ^ "Blue River Dam and Reservoir". U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Columbia Basin Water Management Division. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Blue River Reservoir Area". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ "Blue River Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. May 22, 1986. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ "Blue River Lake and Cougar Lake, Oregon" (PDF). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
- ^ Russell, Michael (September 10, 2010). "Blue-Green Algae Found in Blue River Reservoir in Willamette National Forest". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ Stone, Christine (September 10, 2010). "Oregon Public Health Issues Advisory for Blue River Reservoir" (PDF). Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Health Authority. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Blue River (Oregon) at Wikimedia Commons- McKenzie Watershed Council
- Photo of the reservoir at sunset by Chris Ten Eyck
