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Building Strong® at Lookout Point Dam and Reservoir

Lookout Point Dam is at river mile 21.3 on the Middle Fork Willamette River, about 22 miles southeast of Eugene, Ore.

Lookout Point Dam is an earth and gravel-filled dam with concrete gated spillways. It was completed in 1954 at a cost of $88.2 million. Since then, it has helped prevent more than $5.3 billion in potential flood damages. Lookout Point Dam has three hydropower generating units capable of producing 50 megawatts each.

In coordination with Hills Creek and Fall Creek dams, the three dams work together for the purposes of flood risk management, water quality improvement, irrigation, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation.

For more information

Lookout Point pamphlet

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

Email us about Lookout Point

Latest News Releases

Plant a tree, camp for free

9/9/2016

Avery Park (West) Limited to Day Use and Walk-In Only

4/20/2016

The Dalles Dam Visitor Center and Tours Reopen for Summer

4/20/2016

LePage and Plymouth parks open April 1

3/24/2016

Corps, OWRD seek input on use of Willamette reservoir storage space

3/8/2016

> More News Releases

Lookout Point images

Caption

Crews remove the old turbine runner from Unit 2 at Lookout Point Dam near Lowell, Ore., and prepare to install its replacement. Replacing the runners on the three hydropower units at the dam will improve reliability and reduce maintenance costs. The project will cost about $25.3 million over the next two years. The work is being done by Voith Hydro of Springfield, Ore. Lookout Point Dam generates up to 120 megawatts of electricity for homes and businesses in the Pacific Northwest.

Lookout Point recreation

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Ivan Oakes Campground (Corps-operated)

Open May 22 - Sept. 7, 2015

Availability: first-come, first-served.

Fees:

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

For more information, call the Willamette Valley Project Park Ranger Office: 541-942-5631. For reservations, call 1-877-444-6777 or go to www.recreation.gov

Meridian Park (day-use only, Corps-operated)

NOTICE TO BOATERS: Lookout Point Reservoir will be filled to no higher than 900 feet above sea level in 2015 to accommodate critical spillway gate repair work. The lower water levels will make the Black Canyon (ramp toe at 900 feet), Meridian Park (908 feet) and Hampton Landing (911 feet) boat ramps unusable throughout spring and summer 2015. The Signal Point boat ramp is usable down to elevation 821 feet.

Open daily from dusk until 8:00 a.m., May 8 - Sept. 13, 2015. There is no fee for the day-use area. There are no reservable group picnic areas or shelters. Meridian Park is on the north side of the dam on West Boundary Rd.

Amenities include:

Gravel road and parking area
Vault toilet
Picnic tables
Boat ramp with a new courtesy dock. (This ramp may be unusable in late summer, depending on water levels.)

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

Signal Point Boat Ramp (day-use only, Corps-operated)

Open year-round. There is no fee to use this boat ramp. Signal Point Boat Ramp is on West Boundary Rd., 4.9 miles upstream from the dam and 6.3 miles from Lowell.

Amenities include:

Paved parking lot
Vault toilet
Low-water-level paved boat ramp with a courtesy dock.

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

Lookout Point map

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Lookout Point hydropower

Generators / total output

three

120 mw

Operations: Lookout Point

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Environmental stewardship

The 7,800 acres that make up Lookout Point are managed cooperatively by the Corps and the Willamette National Forest. The lake and its shoreline provide habitat for a number of rare species, including northern spotted owl, western pond turtles, Chinook salmon, and Oregon chub. Bald eagles winter and regularly nest at Lookout Point.

The Willamette Valley Environmental Stewardship program focuses on restoring degraded uplands, wetlands and streams on Corps lands. Recent wildlife habitat improvements on Corps lands here center on replacing invasive plants with native trees and shrubs, and restoring hydrology and topography to support native plants and wildlife habitat.

To mitigate impacts of Corps dams on Chinook salmon and the Middle Fork of the Willamette River, the Corps constructed the Willamette Fish Hatchery near Oakridge and the holding ponds downstream of Dexter Dam. 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 Oregon chub and bull trout within the Middle Fork Willamette River basin.

Flood risk reduction

Conservation season: April - Nov.: Restrict pool elevation to 915 ft.
Flood season: Nov. - March: Restrict pool elevation to 915 ft.

More information is on our Water page.