The Ochoco Dam is a dam in

Central Oregon Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards t ...

, east of Prineville in

Crook County, Oregon Crook County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,738. The county seat is Prineville. The county is named after George Crook, a U.S. Army officer who served in the American Civi ...

, in the United States. The dam impounds

Ochoco Creek Ochoco Creek is a tributary of the Crooked River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the drainage basin of the Columbia River, it arises in the Ochoco National Forest in Wheeler County and flows generally southwest and west for most of its len ...

to create Ochoco Reservoir. The reservoir holds of water for irrigation and flood control, and is also used for fishing and boating. The former Ochoco Lake State Park, with its 22 campsites and lake access, has been re-designated as a county park, and is now run by the Crook County Parks and Recreation District. The original 1920 Ochoco Dam was privately built, high and long. Chronic leaking through its middle section posed a constant threat to the city of Prineville, close downstream, so the dam was replaced by the

United States Bureau of Reclamation The Bureau of Reclamation, formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and operatio ...

in 1949. The 1949 reconstruction brought the earthen dam to high. In the mid 1990s the reservoir was drained twice for additional safety retrofitting. Although the Bureau of Reclamation has been involved in much of the work here, title to the dam is held by the Ochoco Irrigation District. In 1999, the dam was the subject of an April Fool's day hoax from radio station

KSJJ KSJJ (102.9 FM) is a commercial country music radio station in Redmond, Oregon, broadcasting to the Bend, Oregon, area. Syndicated programming includes '' After Midnite with Blair Garner'' hosted by Blair Garner from Premiere Radio Networks ...

, a hoax that the magazine ''Time'' listed among its '"Top 10 Shocking Hoaxes"', along with the

balloon boy hoax The Balloon Boy hoax occurred on October 15, 2009, when a homemade helium-filled gas balloon shaped to resemble a silver flying saucer was released into the atmosphere above Fort Collins, Colorado, by Richard and Mayumi Heene. They then claim ...

, 1938 The War of the Worlds radio hoax, and the 2010 Georgian news report hoax.

References

{{authority control Dams in Oregon Reservoirs in Oregon United States local public utility dams Landforms of Crook County, Oregon Buildings and structures in Crook County, Oregon Dams completed in 1920 1920 establishments in Oregon

See also

References