Mirror Pond is an impoundment of the
Deschutes River in
Bend, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. It is between Pacific Power's Bend Hydro dam and the Colorado dam, between
RM 166 and 167. The pond is flanked by
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
, Harmon, Pageant, Brooks, Columbia, Miller's Landing, and McKay parks, as well as a number of buildings such as
Pine Tavern and private homes. Some people mistakenly consider the Galveston (Tumalo) bridge the upper boundary of Mirror Pond; others call the portion of the lake between Galveston bridge and the Colorado dam "upper Mirror Pond".
History
Mirror Pond was created in 1910 by the construction of the Bend Water, Light & Power Company dam which provided the city with its initial source of electricity. The dam has been owned by Pacific Power since 1926 and produces electricity for approximately 200 Bend households.
Siltation
Since the construction of the dam, the flow of the Deschutes River deposits sediment from the approximately Upper Deschutes River watershed into Mirror Pond. As a result, sediment has settled behind the dam, creating shallow mudflats along the margins. Mirror Pond is the only impoundment of the upper Deschutes River for electricity.
In 1984, the community supported a $312,000 dredging project (equivalent to $ today) to repair the Pond's features, but the result was not lasting. The work included removal of some of material to achieve a minimum depth of .
The sedimentation in Mirror Pond has again become a concern for the Bend community because the mudflats interfere with the flow of the river, recreational uses, and have altered the aesthetics of Mirror Pond in relation to Drake Park and downtown Bend tourism and commerce.
Related
There is also an impoundment downstream created by the
North Canal Dam
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
which is a diversion for
Pilot Butte Canal, now part of the
Central Oregon Irrigation District.
See also
*
List of lakes in Oregon
This is a list of the lakes and reservoirs of Oregon. Swimming, fishing, and/or boating are permitted in some of these lakes, but not all.
Gallery
File:AbertRim-right.jpg, Lake Abert and the Abert Rim
File:Applegate Lake Oregon.jpg, Applegate ...
References
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Bend, Oregon
Reservoirs in Oregon
Lakes of Deschutes County, Oregon
Buildings and structures in Deschutes County, Oregon
1910 establishments in Oregon