Fish Lake (Jackson County, Oregon)

The Fish Lake is a reservoir in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies at an altitude of 1414 m about 55 km northeast of Medford. The former natural lake was enlarged by the construction of a 15 m high dam. The Fish Lake Dam impounds the northern branch of the Little Butte Creek.

Geology

The Fish Lake lies between two volcanoes: Mount McLoughlin and Brown Mountain in the north to the south. Two thousand years ago lava flows of andesite, the Brown Mountain had produced, surrounding the lake at its southern shore.

History

The Fish Lake was originally a natural lake. In 1898, the Fish Lake Water Company was established to facilitate the irrigation of the Rogue Valley. The company proposed the enlargement of the Fish Lakes and the nearby Fourmile Lakes, so that more water could be saved. A preliminary dam on Fish Lake was built in 1902-1908 and 1906 resulted in a dam on Fourmile Lake. The two lakes were joined in 1915 by the Cascade Canal, so that water can be routed from Fourmile Lake, which belongs to the catchment area of ​​the Klamath River on the watershed in the Cascade Range to Fish Lake and so could fill the Little Butte Creek. The temporary dam was replaced by a permanent dam. This dam was modified again in 1922. 1955 a new spillway was built. A relief channel was added in 1996. The lake is now three times as large as he had originally measured.

Hydrology

The Fish Lake has an average depth of 5.5 and a maximum depth of 9.4 m. Its surface has an average of 1,950,000 m² with an average volume of 9.666 million m³. The catchment area is 52 km ². The dam is 15 m high and 293 m long.

Fauna

Among the fish species in the lake include rainbow trout and brook trout. Ospreys are native to the area.

Leisure

The Pacific Crest Trail runs along the eastern shore of the lake. To the Fish Lake are three campsites. Among the visitors preferred recreational activities at the lake include fishing, swimming and boating.