Applegate Dam is on the Applegate River, about 28 miles southwest of Medford, Ore. The lake covers 988 acres and extends to the California border. The average depth is 85 feet, with a maximum depth of 225 feet. 

The Corps of Engineers began building Applegate Dam in 1976 and finished this 242-foot rockfill embankment dam in 1980. Applegate Dam includes a regulating outlet conduit, a gate-controlled concrete chute spillway and an intake tower with multi-level intakes capable of removing water from various levels of the reservoir for downstream temperature control.

Applegate Reservoir has 82,200 acre-feet of storage for flood control and water conservation, and controls runoff from a drainage area of 220 square miles. Authorized primary purposes include flood risk management, irrigation, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement, and water quality improvement.

Development at most of the recreation sites is minimal and most of the lakeshore is maintained in a natural state. 

Environmental concerns prompted the Corps to construct an innovative multi-port intake tower, allowing operators regulate the temperatures of water released from the lake by mixing water from different depths.

During the summer this water temperature regulation improves conditions for migrating fish in the Applegate and Rogue rivers.

The returning fish are collected just below the dam and transported to the Cole M. Rivers Fish Hatchery, located just downstream of William L. Jess Dam on the Rogue River, for spawning. Later, juveniles are released into the Applegate River to maintain the runs.

Phone: 541-878-2255

Email us about Applegate Dam

Reservoir elevation, flow and temperature report: 800-472-2434

Elk Creek is a tributary of the Rogue River, about 25 miles northeast of Medford, Ore.

The Elk Creek project was initiated in 1971, the third dam authorized by Congress to be built in the Rogue River Basin.  After years of litigation the project was stopped in 1988, leaving an incomplete dam 83 feet tall, one-third its designed height. Once construction was stopped, plans were developed to restore Elk Creek to a free-flowing creek.  The dam was notched on Aug. 17, 2008, and the Corps diverted Elk Creek into the new channel on Sept. 15, 2008.

The Corps of Engineers is developing a master plan for Elk Creek that will help manage the lands, water and natural resources. The Elk Creek long-term master plan will review current land use conditions and identify future goals and uses for this scenic and environmentally vital area.

General: Construction of Elk Creek project began in 1971 with acquisition of project lands, relocation of residents and relocation of some roads and utilities. Elk Creek Dam construction stopped in 1988 at a height of 83 feet, one-third its design height. The project's final demolition shot, notching the dam, was on Aug. 17, 2008. Elk Creek was diverted into the new channel on Sept. 15, 2008.

The project work is now complete.  USACE, National Marine Fisheries Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Elk Creek Environmental Coordination Task Force members will continue assess channel performance as flows increase and make adjustments as appropriate.

Master Plan: A master plan is a document that guides decision making and management of federal lands. USACE completed a master plan in 1987, anticipating a completed and fully operational Elk Creek dam and reservoir. However, construction of the dam was halted in 1988 and the unfinished structure was notched in 2008 to allow the creek to flow freely.

USACE's mission at Elk Creek includes environmental stewardship, ecosystem management and recreation opportunities. The events above resulted in changed needs, operations, recreational opportunities and natural resources in the area, and thus the need for an updated master plan.

Portland District completed a regional master plan and integrated environmental assessment (EA) for Lost Creek, Applegate, and Elk Creek projects. Lost Creek and Elk Creek projects are approximately 28 miles northeast of Medford, Oregon. Applegate Project is about 28 miles southwest of Medford, Oregon. The final master plan and integrated environmental assessment can be downloaded here (please note the document is large and may take some time to download). Additionally, the Environmental Assessment resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) which can be found here. 

USACE has made several investigations and waste removal efforts at the defunct dam site in the past; however, a 2019 complaint by a former contactor employee to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality shed light on improper disposal by the Obayashi Corporation, the contractor the Corps used during construction. 

Corps and ODEQ personnel subsequently met with the former employee at the site and identified the approximate location of the buried drums. Afterwards, the Corps excavated 26 test pits and found nine to 10 crushed drums, which were leaking fluids. The Corps has formed a project team to continue the CERCLA process, specifically a remedial investigation that would include a risk assessment.

A full site inspection report can be found here.

Phone: 541-878-2255

Email us about Elk Creek

Reservoir elevation, flow and temperature report: 800-472-2434

William L. Jess Dam is situated on the main stem of the Rogue River, about 28 miles northeast of Medford, Ore., in a timbered canyon on the Rogue River. The Lost Creek Reservoir and features public access areas, parks, boat ramps and 30 miles of scenic trails.

Jess Dam at Lost Creek is a 327-foot-high rockfill embankment structure with a gated spillway. Jess Dam was the first of three multi-purpose storage projects finished in the Rogue River Basin project. 

Authorized primary purposes include flood risk management, water supply, water quality improvement, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement and recreation.

In 1996, Congress renamed Lost Creek Dam in honor of William L. Jess, a strong advocate for multiple uses of impounded waters and one of the founders of the Rogue Basin Association, established in 1955.

The William L. Jess Dam and intake structure is a 327-foot-high rockfill embankment structure. Construction began in 1967 and the lake began filling in February 1977. Runoff from a drainage area of 674 square miles pools into Lost Creek Lake. The lake provides 465,000 acre-feet of total storage and has an area of 3,430 acres when full.

A regulating outlet tunnel, power penstock, and intake tower with multi-level intakes are located in the dam's right abutment; a gate-controlled concrete chute spillway is located in the left abutment. The powerhouse's generating capacity of 49,200 kilowatts comes from two 24.6-megawatt generators.

Environmental concerns prompted the Corps to construct an innovative multi-port intake tower, allowing operators regulate the temperatures of water released from the lake. Lost Creek’s intake structure combines lake water from different depths in a mixing chamber before releasing it downstream, regulating the water temperature and improving conditions for fish migration and survival in the Applegate and Rogue rivers. 

The returning fish are collected just below the dam and transported to the Cole M. Rivers Fish Hatchery, located just downstream of William L. Jess Dam on the Rogue River, for spawning. Later, juveniles are released into the Applegate River to maintain the runs.

For security reasons, the parking area adjacent to the Project Office will be gated closed each day at 5:15 p.m.
It will reopen each morning at 5:15 a.m. Additionally, the front door to the Project Office will remain locked during the day -- knock and USACE staff will assist you. Please plan your visit accordingly.

Phone: 541-878-2255

Email us about Lost Creek

Reservoir elevation, flow and temperature report: 800-472-2434