Hyatt Reservoir is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

in Jackson County,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, United States, east of Ashland. Impounded by Hyatt Dam, the water is used for irrigation and recreation. A local irrigation district built the dam in 1923. Located at an elevation of , the lake supports populations of bass,

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

, and other species. The

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

oversees a large public recreation complex adjacent to the lake.

History

Little Hyatt reservoir was created by the Hyatt Dam, constructed in 1923 by the local irrigation district to impound Keene Creek. It stands at the southern end of the reservoir, and was rehabilitated in 1960 by the current owner, the

United States Bureau of Reclamation The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...

. The Talent Irrigation District operates the facility. Water from Hyatt Reservoir, Little Hyatt Reservoir—further downstream on Keene Creek—and

Howard Prairie Lake Howard Prairie Lake is a reservoir located above sea level in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is east of Ashland. The lake is formed by the tall Howard Prairie Dam, which impounds Beaver Creek, in the Klamath River watershed. Hist ...

, a larger reservoir to the east, is carried by the Ashland Lateral Canal to Emigrant Lake, a storage reservoir near Ashland. During the 2020–21 North American drought, the lake reached 1% capacity.

Recreation

The

(BLM) oversees a variety of camping sites at Hyatt Reservoir. The complex can accommodate tent camping for people who arrive by car, horse, or

recreational vehicle A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and camper ...

, or who arrive on foot, some following the

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

, which passes by the lake. The main campground has flush toilets, hot showers, two boat ramps, a group shelter, a softball field and other amenities. Activities include boating, swimming, fishing, basketball, volleyball,

horseshoes Horseshoe is a shoe for horses and by analogy is applied to many things with a similar shape. Horseshoes (game), a tossing game played with a horseshoe Horseshoe(s) or Horse Shoe(s) may also refer to: Places * Horseshoe Valley (disambiguation) ...

, and wildlife watching. The BLM charges fees for use of the sites, which are open from late April through October. In the off-season winter months, the sites may be used without charge, but water and other amenities are not available. Winter activities in the area include cross-country skiing and snowmobiling on marked trails. Private commercial resorts are also located near the lake. Hyatt Reservoir is stocked each year with about 250,000 young

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

, some of which eventually reach in length in the lake's favorable conditions. Sport fishing for

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

is also common, and the lake supports populations of

crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

, and other fish.

References

{{authority control Reservoirs in Oregon Lakes of Jackson County, Oregon Buildings and structures in Jackson County, Oregon Protected areas of Jackson County, Oregon Dams in Oregon United States Bureau of Reclamation dams Dams completed in 1923 1923 establishments in Oregon

History

Recreation

See also

References