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Rogue River Basin Project

Lost Creek Dam, Applegate Dam, Elk Creek Dam

Published Sept. 17, 2013
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Authorized Purposes

 

  • Flood risk management  
  • Fish and wildlife management
  • Irrigation
  • Water supply (municipal-industrial)
  • Hydropower
  • Recreation
  • Water Quality

Assets

  • William L. Jess Dam (Lost Creek), Applegate Dam, Elk Creek Dam (uncompleted)
  • 2 water temperature control towers
  • 532,000 total acre-feet storage capacity
  • 3,100 total acres of water surface area
  • 8,540 total acres of land surface area
  • 2 boat-in/hike-in campgrounds, 7 day-use areas, and 2 boat ramps managed by Corps of Engineers, 1 visitor center
  • Additional campgrounds, day use areas, boat ramps & a marina managed by Oregon State Parks, US Forest Service and a private concessionaire
  • 30 miles of Rogue River National Recreation Trail
  • 2 hydropower units (49 MW capacity) located at Lost Creek Powerhouse
  • 21 professional team members

 

Benefits

  • $68M in flood damage reduction to date 
  • 450,000 annual recreation visitors
  • $9M annual recreation economic impacts FY09
  • 280,000 MWH produced in FY11 at a market value of $14M
  • 4,000 AF out of 10,000 AF contracted Municipal & Industrial Storage
  • 12,000 AF out of 61,000 AF contracted Irrigation Storage
  • Fishery Enhancement (flow and temps)

Accomplishments

  • Partnerships with ODFW, OR Hunters Assoc, Boy Scouts of America, Wild Turkey Federation, local bass clubs
  • 1,697 volunteer hours in FY11
  • Cooperative Agreement with Bureau of Land Management to operate the McGregor Park visitor center
  • Provided 5,043 direct interpretive contacts for education and outreach efforts to the public including school water safety programs, environmental education, powerhouse tours, and campground programs.
  • Corps representative for SW Oregon
  • Updated Applegate spillway gates
  • Current implementation of FEM improving business performance decisions
  • Installed oil detection in contingency catch basin & transformer sump
  • Maximized fishery & FRM benefits
  • Implemented spillway IRRMs at Lost Creek

Challenges

  • Growth of administrative burden
  • Decline of wild spring chinook
  • Aging infrastructure and increasing risk
  • Blue-green algae
  • Retirements
  • Competing demands for limited water resources (fish, TMDL, flat water recreation, river recreation, commercial jet boats, population growth)

 

Lost Creek Dam

Authorized Purpose

  • Flood risk mgt
  • Fish and wildlife management
  • Water Quality
  • Water Supply (municipal / industrial)
  • Irrigation
  • Recreation
  • Hydropower

 

Assets

  • Completed in 1977 at a cost of $136.4M
  • 3,750 ft long 327 ft high dam  
  • 2 hydropower generators with a 49 MW capacity.
  • 315,000 acre-feet of useable storage.
  • McGregor Park Visitor Center
  • One boat ramp
  • Interpretive hiking trail

 

Benefits

  • 450,000 visitors
  • $9M annual recreation economic impacts.
  • 112 volunteers in FY11 providing 1,443 service hours for an estimated value of $30,823

 

Fiscal

  • $1.3 O&M appropriated funds FY12
  • $2.1M BPA funding FY12

 

Applegate Dam

Authorized Purpose

  • Flood risk mgt
  • Fish and wildlife management
  • Water quality
  • Irrigation
  • Recreation

 

Assets

  • Completed in 1980 at a cost of $96M
  • 1.300 ft long and 230 ft high dam
  • 82,000 acre-feet of useable storage
  • One boat ramp
  • Hiking trails

 

Fiscal

  • $248K O&M appropriated funds FY12

 

Elk Creek Dam

Elk Creek Dam project was initiated in 1971 and stopped by injunction in 1988. A 2007 decision authorized notching the dam. The left abutment and a portion of the spillway was removed in 2008 and returned Elk Creek to its original alignment for fish passage in compliance with the Endangered Species Act.


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