PORTLAND DISTRICT

Home > >

About our Willamette Valley locations

The Portland District operates 13 dams in the Willamette River basin. Each dam contributes to a water resource management system that provides flood risk management, power generation, water quality improvement, irrigation, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation on the Willamette River and many of its tributaries.

For more information about a specific dam, click on its name on the map.

Since their completion, the dams have cumulatively prevented more than $20 billion in flood damages to the Willamette Valley. The Willamette River Basin is bounded by the Cascade Mountains on the east and the Coast Range on the west.

Although Corps dams only regulate about 27 percent of the water flowing into the Willamette River, our efforts help reduce flood damage in the Willamette River Basin, as well the North and South Santiam, McKenzie and Middle Fork Willamette river tributary basins.

During the rainy season, potentially disastrous flooding is controlled by storing water in the reservoirs behind the dams. During the summer, water levels in the reservoirs are maintained as high as possible to provide water-related recreation opportunities. In the drier summer and fall months when rivers are at low levels, stored water is released from the dams to improve water quality and conditions for fish.

Eight of the Willamette Valley dams generate hydroelectricity from the power of water passing through the dams. These dams can provide enough power to service about 300,000 homes.

Federal, state and local agencies and many Willamette Valley stakeholders are united in their commitment to protect native fish populations and their habitat. They have been working together for many years, along with private interests, on improvements essential for the successful protection and recovery of this Northwest treasure. The Corps is a partner in efforts to revitalize our streams and habitats throughout the Willamette Valley.

There are more than 50 developed recreation sites within the Willamette Valley Project. Activities available at each reservoir vary, but may include: camping, picnicking, boating, water skiing, fishing, swimming, hunting, hiking, biking, equestrian use and wildlife viewing.

For more information

The project office is about 25 miles from Eugene, Ore., at Lookout Point Dam. Office hours are 7 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

General: 541-684-4300
Recreation: 541-942-5631

Email the Willamette Valley Project

211 E. 7th St., Ste. 480
Eugene, OR 97401-2773

The Willamette Valley project brochure

Willamette Valley images

Caption

aerial photo of Cottage Grove Dam

Willamette Valley recreation

Collapse All Expand All

Big Cliff Lake (closed)

The boat ramp at Big Cliff Reservoir is permanently closed to vehicle traffic. The ramp can be used to launch small boats if they can be carried to the water. For more information, visit here.

Blue River Lake

These recreation facilities at Blue River are operated by the U.S. Forest Service; for information about these locations, call the McKenzie River Ranger District Office at 541-822-3381, or click the links below:

Mona Campground (http://go.usa.gov/gwp)

Lookout Creek Boat Ramp and Park (http://go.usa.gov/gwd)

Saddle Dam Boat Launch (http://go.usa.gov/gww)

Cottage Grove Lake

Update: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers implemented an alcohol ban at Cottage Grove and Dorena lakes to improve recreation quality, public and employee safety, and resource allocation and protection.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates all parks at Cottage Grove Lake.

Pine Meadows Campground:
Open: May 17 - Sept. 9, 2013*
Developed, with 85 campsites, paved roads, flush toilets, showers, dump station, campfire rings, picnic tables, gate attendants, children's play area and a marked but unsupervised swim area. (No hookups)
Fees:

$18 per night per site
$6 per day, per extra vehicle

*(last night to camp is Sept. 8, 2013)

Primitive Campground:
Open: May 24 - Sept. 2, 2013**
Minimally-developed campground with 15 individual campsites, vault toilets, drinking water, gravel roads, picnic tables, fire rings, no hookups and no showers.
Fees:

$12 per night, per site
$6 per day, per extra vehicle

(Primitive sites are reserved as Pine Meadows Campground sites A-O.)

**(last night to camp is Sept. 22, 2013)

Day-Use Parks:
No fee for day-use areas. Cottage Grove Lake has four day-use only parks, three on the lakeshore and one on the river immediately below the dam. All are open May 10-Sept. 8, 2013, and are closed daily from dusk until 8:00 a.m. There are no reservable group picnic areas or shelters.

Lakeside Park is located on London Road just past the dam. The park has paved roads and parking lots, flush toilets, picnic tables, and fire rings. There is a boat launch ramp with a courtesy dock located near the entrance to the park. The boat ramp is open year-round. There is a $3.00 fee to use the boat ramp from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Wilson Creek Park is on Reservoir Road at the southwest end of the lake, and has paved roads and parking lots, flush toilets, picnic tables, fire rings, a children's play area and an unsupervised swim area. A boat launch ramp with a courtesy dock is near the park's entrance. There is a $3.00 fee to use the boat ramp from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

A $30 annual pass may be purchased at Pine Meadows Campground to cover boat ramp fees at Lakeside Park or Wilson Creek Park.

Riverside Park is on the east bank of the river, downstream from the dam. This minimally developed park has a gravel road and parking area, two picnic tables and a vault toilet. A paved path with pull-outs suitable for wheelchairs is close enough to the river for fishing. No drinking water available.

To make reservations, call the National Reservation Service at 1-877-444-6777 or go to www.recreation.gov.
For more information, call the Willamette Valley Project Park Ranger Office at (541) 942-5631.

Cougar Lake

Recreation facilities at Cougar are operated by the U.S. Forest Service. For closure status or other information about these locations, contact the McKenzie River Ranger office at 541-882-3381, or click on the links below:

Detroit Lake

There are no Corps-operated parks at Detroit Lake, but the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon State Parks operate several recreation areas around the lake.

U.S. Forest Service-operated areas:
Four parks on Detroit Lake are operated by the U.S. Forest Service. For information about these parks, contact the Detroit Ranger Station at 503-854-3366 or click the links below:

Areas operated by Oregon State Parks:
Detroit Lake State Park and Mongold day use area are operated by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. For closure status or other questions, call the park office at 503-854-3406, the State Parks Information Center at 800-551-6949 or visit the Oregon State Parks web page at http://www.oregonstateparks.org/

Dexter Lake

Orchard Park (day-use only):
No fees. Open May 10-Sept. 8, 2013, and closed daily from dusk until 8:00 a.m. This minimally developed park is located on the northeast end of the lake and includes a vault toilet and picnic tables. There are no reservable group picnic areas or shelters.

For more information, call the Willamette Valley Project Park Ranger Office at 541-942-5631.

The recreation areas listed below are operated by Oregon State Parks; for information about these, contact Oregon State Parks office at 541-937-1173, or visit the Oregon State Parks web page at http://www.oregonstateparks.org/ :

Dexter Park

Lowell Park

Dorena Lake

Schwarz Campground:
Open: April 26 - Sept. 23, 2013*

Fees:

$16 per night per site
$6 per day, per extra vehicle
$32 for double sites

Developed, with 82 campsites, paved roads, flush toilets, showers, dump station, campfire rings, picnic tables, gate attendants, and children's play area. (No hookups.)

Six group campsites are available.

Fees and vehicle limitations:

$140 per night
Up to 25 vehicles per group at any one time.
Up to 15 vehicles can be camper units.

*(last night to camp is Sept. 22, 2013)

To make reservations, call the National Reservation Service at 1-877-444-6777, or go to http://www.recreation.gov

Day-use parks:

No fee for day-use areas. All are open May 10-Sept. 8, 2013, and are closed daily from dusk until 8:00 a.m. There are no reservable group picnic areas or shelters.

For more information, call the Willamette Valley Project Park Ranger Office at (541) 942-5631.

Harms Park: Open year-round. This park is a minimally developed day-use area which includes a boat ramp, paved parking area, vault toilet, picnic tables and access to the Row River Trail. There is no fee for use of the boat ramp, but ramp access is limited by seasonal water levels.

Bake Stewart Park: Open May 10 - Sept. 8, 2013. This park is located at the southeast end of the lake where the Row River enters the reservoir. It is a minimally developed day use area with gravel roads, vault toilets, and picnic tables. This park closes daily from dusk until 8 am during the recreation season.

Questions about Corps-operated parks should be directed to the Willamette Valley Park Ranger Office at 541-942-5631.

Lane County Parks operates Baker Bay Park (camping and day use); questions about Baker Bay Park should be directed to the Lane County Parks Dept. at 541-682-2000 (in Eugene). The Baker Bay concessionaire may be reached at 541-942-7669.

The Bureau of Land Management operates Row River Trail; for more information, contact Eugene District Bureau of Land Management at 541-683-6600.
More than five miles of the Row River Trail borders Dorena Lake. The trail can be accessed near the lake at Dorena Dam, Row Point and Harms Park trailheads. The trail begins in Cottage Grove and continues for 14 miles, with several trailheads providing multiple opportunities for short trips and shuttling options. The trail is open to hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Fall Creek

Tufti day-use area: Open all year, closed daily from dusk to 8:00 a.m., no fee.
This minimally developed area includes:

Fall Creek access
gravel parking lot
hiking trail
vault toilet

For more information about this day-use area, call the Corps at 541-942-5631.

*These seven parks are managed by Oregon State Parks and may be open; for more information, call (541) 937-1173 or visit the Oregon State Parks web page at http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_241.php:

Privately operated:
Sky Camp is a private resident camp for educational purposes. The caretaker can be reached at (541) 937-3355.

Fern Ridge

Boaters: Fern Ridge water surface elevation map

Kirk Park (day-use only):
No fee for day-use area. Open May 10-Sept. 8, 2013, and closed daily from dusk until 8:00 a.m. Located below the Fern Ridge Dam off Clear Lake Road, Kirk Park provides access to the Long Tom River and ponds full of fish and wildlife. Amenities include vault toilets, paved roads, picnic tables, fire rings, trails, and a fishing dock. There are no reservable group picnic areas or shelters.

Birding:
The Fern Ridge area is an excellent location for birding.

The following four parks on Fern Ridge Lake are operated by Lane County parks may be open:

For more information about these parks, please contact the Lane County Parks Department at 541-682-2000 or visit the Lane County Parks web page at http://www.lanecounty.org/departments/PW/Parks/Pages/default.aspx?p=1.

*These recreation areas leased by private organizations may be open:

Fern Ridge Shores 541-935-2335
Eugene Yacht Club
Tri-Pass Ski Club 541-935-1495

Foster Lake

Andrew S. Wiley Park is a day-use park, and provides access to the South Santiam River below Foster Dam. The park is open year-round and includes flush and chemical toilets, picnic tables, barbecue grills, and a paved boat ramp. There is no fee to use this area.

For more information, call the Willamette Valley Project Park Ranger Office at 541-942-5631.

These areas are operated by Linn County Parks at Foster Lake:

Gedney Creek Park - boat ramp
Lewis Creek Park - day-use area
Sunnyside Park - campground and day-use area
Calkins Ramp - boat ramp

For more information about these parks, contact the Linn County Parks Department at 541-967-3917.

Privately-operated facilities at Foster Lake:
Shea Point is a viewpoint and day-use area off Highway 20, on the south side of Foster Lake. The area includes flush toilets, interpretive displays and a paved shoreline trail. For more information, call Edgewater RV Resort and Marina at 541-818-0431 or go to http://www.edgewateroregon.com/.

Green Peter Lake

The following areas are operated by Linn County Parks:

Thistle Creek Boat Ramp - year-round, low-water boat ramp
Whitcomb Creek Park - seasonal campground and boat ramp

For more about these parks, contact the Linn County Parks Department at 541-967-3917.

Changes to Quartzville Corridor Recreation:

The Corps and Linn County Parks completed a plan in 2011 to improve the quality and safety of recreation at Green Peter Reservoir. The entire Green Peter Reservoir Recreation Plan is available here.

Phase I of the plan includes expanding and improving Whitcomb Creek Campground, developing reserveable campsites at Trout Creek, and eliminating roadside camping on Corps land along Quartzville Road to Mile Post 17.2 just past Trout Creek.

Roadside camping has been permanently closed, effective April 1, 2014. Other improvements will be implemented as funding becomes available.

Hills Creek

The parks on Hills Creek Lake are operated by the U.S. Forest Service:

*Questions about these parks should be directed to the Middle Fork Ranger District Office in West Fir, Oregon at 541-782-2283.

Lookout Point Lake

Ivan Oakes Campground:
Open: May 24 - Sept. 2, 2013*
First-come, first-serve availability.
*(last night to camp is Sept. 3, 2013)

Fees:

$12 per night per site
$6 per day, per extra vehicle

Signal Point boat ramp (day-use only):
Open year-round, there is no fee to use this boat ramp, located on West Boundary Road, 4.9 miles upstream from the dam and 6.3 miles from Lowell. This area includes a paved parking lot, a vault toilet and a low-water-level paved boat ramp with a courtesy dock.

Meridian Park (day-use only):
Open daily from dusk until 8:00 a.m., May 10 - Sept. 8, 2013. This park is located at the north side of the dam on West Boundary Road. The park includes a gravel road and parking area, vault toilet, picnic tables and a boat ramp with a new courtesy dock.This ramp may be unusable in late summer depending on water levels. There are no reservable group picnic areas or shelters. There is no fee for the day-use area.

For more information, call the Willamette Valley Project Park Ranger Office at 541-684-4300.