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Building Strong® at Detroit Dam and Reservoir

Detroit DamDetroit Dam is located at river mile 49 on the North Santiam River, about 45 miles southeast of Salem, Ore.

 

Detroit Dam is a concrete dam with gated spillways. It was completed in 1953 with Big Cliff Dam, located just downstream, at a cost of $62.7 million. Detroit Dam has two hydropower generating units which were put into service in 1953, capable of producing 50 megawatts each.

 

Detroit Dam works together with Big Cliff Dam to provide flood risk management. Detroit’s other authorized primary purposes also include hydropower, water quality improvement, irrigation, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation.

 

Link to larger version of Detroit Dam map graphic
Recreation web ad130206-A-GJ792-001

For more information

Detroit pamphlet

Contact us about Detroit:
General: 541-684-4300
Recreation: 541-942-5631

Email us about Detroit

Willamette Valley Project images

Hills Creek aerial phoot
Caption
Hills Creek aerial phoot
  • Hills Creek aerial phoot
  • Green Peter aerial photograph
  • Foster Dam aerial photo
  • aerial photo of Fern Ridge
  • Lookout Point aerial photo
  • Blue River Dam
  • aerial photo of Cottage Grove Dam
  • aerial photo of Blue River
  • aerial photo of Cottage Grove Dam
  • aerial photo of Fall Creek Dam
  • aerial photo of Dorena Dam
  • aerial photo of Dexter Dam
  • aerial photo of Detroit Dam
  • aerial photo of Cougar Dam
  • aerial photo of Big Cliff Dam

Detroit hydropower

Generators / total output two 100 mw

Detroit project data

Dam length 1,523.5 ft 464.5m
Height 463 ft 141.1 m
Elevation (NGVD*) 1,580 ft 481 m
Lake length 9 mi 14.4 km
Shoreline 32 mi 51.4 km
Area when full 3,500 ac 1,432 ha
*National Geodetic Vertical Datum

Detroit recreation

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Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  Birding

The reservoir is a designated stop along the Mt. Jefferson section of the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail.  This Trail is a self-guided auto tour of nearly 200 prime birding destinations in the Oregon Cascades. This area provides songbird habitat in its hardwood stands, while osprey use lakeshore snags and trees as roosts and nesting sites and waterfowl including common mergansers nest at the lake.

external linkOregon Cascades Birding Trail

Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  Four Detroit recreation sites are operated by the U.S. Forest Service

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


Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  Two Detroit recreation sites are operated by Oregon Parks and Recreation

For questions or concerns, call either the park office at 503- 854-3406 or the State Parks Information Center at 800-551-6949, or click a link below:

The Oregon State Parks website is at http://www.oregonstateparks.org/

Detroit map

Operations: Detroit

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Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  Environmental stewardship

The Detroit project encompasses more than 6,500 acres. The reservoir is primarily managed through an agreement with the Willamette National Forest.

 

The reservoir is a designated stop along the Mt. Jefferson section of the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail, a self-guided auto tour of nearly 200 prime birding destinations in the Oregon Cascades. This area provides songbird habitat in its hardwood stands, while osprey use lakeshore snags and trees as roosts and nesting sites and waterfowl including common mergansers nest at the lake.

 

To mitigate impacts from Corps dams to Chinook salmon and winter steelhead within the North Santiam River Basin, the Corps constructed the Marion Forks Fish Hatchery and the Minto Collection Facility. These are operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife with funds provided by the Corps. Additionally, the Corps supports ongoing efforts for the recovery of the Oregon chub within the North Santiam River basin.

 

 external linkOregon Cascades Birding Trail

Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  Flood risk reduction
Conservation season: April to November: Restrict pool elevation to 1568.5 feet.
Flood season: November to March: Restrict pool elevation to 1568.5 feet.

For more information, visit our Water page.

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