Lost Creek Lake 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 ...

located on the Rogue River 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. The lake is impounded by William L. Jess Dam which was constructed by the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

in 1977 for flood control and fisheries enhancement. The lake and dam were the first completed elements of the multi-purpose Rogue River Basin Project, consisting of Lost Creek Lake, Applegate Lake and the Elk Creek project. The lake is located approximately (straight line) northeast of Medford.

History

Construction of Lost Creek Dam began in 1972 and was completed in 1977. In 1996, the

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

renamed Lost Creek Dam, along with the adjoining intake structure, in honor of William L. Jess, one of the founders of the Rogue Basin Association, which was established in 1955. Jess was a strong advocate for the construction and multiple use of the impounded waters. The primary purpose of the dam is

flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...

and is operated in conjunction with Applegate Dam to regulate water flows down the river as well as to impound water for summer use. The dam is an earthfill structure with a gated spillway and contains two

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

generating units with a total capacity of 49

megawatts The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Watt ...

. The hydroelectric plant has a rated flow capacity of . The technologically advanced and unusual

intake tower An intake tower or outlet tower is a vertical tubular structure with one or more openings used for capturing water from reservoirs and conveying it further to a hydroelectric or water-treatment plant. Unlike spillways, intake towers are intended ...

regulates water temperature by combining lake water from different depths in a mixing chamber before releasing it downstream. This serves to cool the normally warm summer water of the Rogue River, which improves conditions for fish migration and survival. The dam is long, high, with the top of the dam at an elevation of above mean sea level (MSL).The river below the dam is a popular area for easy

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

and tubing in the summer when the water is relatively warm. Joseph H. Stewart State Recreation Area is located along the southern shore of the lake. Casey State Park is located on the Rogue River below the dam.

Recreation

Lost Creek Lake is located 37 miles northeast of Medford, OR, off of highway 62. The lake has been a popular recreational site for southern Oregonians since its construction in the 70's. Outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds find amusement in the lake and on its surrounding land. With average rainfall the lake is around 3,430 acres and 280 feet in depth, providing plenty of area for summertime watersports such as boating, skiing, wake boarding, tubing, and jet-skiing. The Lost Creek Lake is a popular year round spot for trout and small mouth bass fishing. A 20-mile trail along the lakeshore can be used by hikers or mountain bikers. This trail runs through the Joseph H. Stewart State Park, which is a popular camping destination, offering 150+ sites with electrical hookups for RVs and Campers, as well as 50 tent sites with water. Public bathrooms and showers are also available in the campground, as well as a RV dump station. Two boat landings are located off of the lakes shores, one of which is part of the Joseph H. Stewart State Park. The state park boat landing is located next to the Lost Creek Marina. In addition to boat storage and rentals, the marina features on water fueling, a bait and tackle shop, and a small store and restaurant. Applicable fishing regulations and information can be found at th
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website

Photo gallery

File:Lazy Summer on Lost Creek Lake.jpg, Storm clouds build near Crater Lake in the distance, and reflect in the waters of Lost Creek Lake, Oregon. File:Rafters on Rogue.jpg, Rafters start their float down the Rogue River from McGregor Park boat ramp. File:North Shore Lost Creek Lake.jpg, North Shore Lost Creek Lake. File:Lost Creek Lake in Fall.jpg, Lost Creek Lake in fall. File:Stewart State Park Marina.jpg, Stewart State Park marina. File:Nature Trail Boardwalk.jpg, McGregor Park nature trails. File:Walkway on Lost Creek Lake.jpg, Walkway on Lost Creek Lake. File:Rogue Nature Center.jpg, Rogue Nature Center at McGregor Park in fall. File:Takelma Day Use Area.jpg, Takelma Day Use Area picnic shelters. File:Rogue River Bend.jpg, The Rogue River bends around McGregor Park. File:Feeding Fish at Hatchery.jpg, Feeding fish at the Cole M. Rivers fish hatchery. File:Rogue River Trail.jpg, Rogue River Trail and lake. File:Intake Tower.jpg, Intake tower at low water. File:RRBP Rogue River Fall flyfishing (23186248791).jpg, Fall fly fishing downstream of Lost Creek Lake File:RRBP Rogue River Fall flyfishing.jpg2 (23160755862).jpg, A fly fisherman downstream of Lost Creek Lake File:Spring at Lost Creek Powerhouse.jpg, Spring at the Lost Creek Lake powerhouse. File:Snow at Lost Creek Powerhouse.jpg, Snow falls at the Lost Creek powerhouse on the Rogue River.

Fish hatchery

Cole Rivers Hatchery is located on the Rogue River, 30 miles northeast of Medford, Oregon, on Highway 62, about 1⁄2 mile downstream of Lost Creek Dam. The site is at an elevation of 1,545 feet above sea level at . The hatchery land covers . The US Army Corps of Engineers constructed the hatchery in 1973 to mitigate impacts to salmon spawning and rearing areas blocked by the construction of the Lost Creek, Applegate, and Elk Creek Dams (the latter was never constructed). The Hatchery was named in honor of Cole M. Rivers, a biologist on the Rogue River for 20 years. The facility is used for adult collection, spawning, egg incubation and rearing of spring chinook,

coho The coho salmon (''Oncorhynchus kisutch;'' Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". The scientific species name is ...

, summer

steelhead Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and N ...

, and winter steelhead, and egg incubation and rearing of fall chinook and

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 ...

References

External links