Howard Prairie Lake
Reservoir in Southern Oregon, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Howard Prairie Lake is a reservoir located 4,526 feet (1,380 m) above sea level in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is 18 miles (29 km) east of Ashland. The lake is formed by the 100-foot (30 m) tall Howard Prairie Dam, which impounds Beaver Creek, in the Klamath River watershed.[1]
| Howard Prairie Lake | |
|---|---|
Howard Prairie Lake from its southern shore | |
  Howard Prairie Lake  Howard Prairie Lake | |
| Location | Jackson County, Southern Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 42°12′59″N 122°22′35″W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Water diverted from Little Butte Creek |
| Primary outflows | Beaver Creek |
| Catchment area | 79 square miles (205 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 1,990 acres (8 km2) |
| Average depth | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Max. depth | 80 feet (24 m) |
| Water volume | 62,100 acre-feet (76,599,200 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 4,526 feet (1,380 m) |
| Islands | Buck, Doe, and Fawn |
History
The reservoir was created in 1958 when the 100-foot (30 m) tall earth fill dam was completed by the Talent Division of the Rogue River Basin Project.[1][2] A canal diverting water from nearby Little Butte Creek, (in the Rogue River watershed), to the lake was also completed.[1]
Statistics
Howard Prairie Lake has an average surface area of 1,990 acres (8 km2), and an average volume of 62,100 acre-feet (76,599,200 m3). It has a maximum depth of 80 feet (24 m), and an average depth of 35 feet (11 m).[3] The lake has a 79-square-mile (205 km2) drainage basin.[4]
During the 2020–21 North American drought, the lake reached 4% capacity.[5]
Climate
| Climate data for Howard Prairie Dam, Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, 1960–2020 extremes: 4567ft (1392m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
67 (19) |
73 (23) |
82 (28) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
100 (38) |
100 (38) |
97 (36) |
89 (32) |
71 (22) |
55 (13) |
100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 47.7 (8.7) |
52.5 (11.4) |
61.9 (16.6) |
70.5 (21.4) |
79.6 (26.4) |
86.1 (30.1) |
91.6 (33.1) |
91.4 (33.0) |
87.0 (30.6) |
76.3 (24.6) |
58.1 (14.5) |
45.7 (7.6) |
92.2 (33.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.1 (2.3) |
39.6 (4.2) |
44.6 (7.0) |
50.5 (10.3) |
60.2 (15.7) |
68.3 (20.2) |
79.0 (26.1) |
79.0 (26.1) |
72.4 (22.4) |
58.0 (14.4) |
42.2 (5.7) |
34.8 (1.6) |
55.4 (13.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.5 (−1.4) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
35.2 (1.8) |
40.0 (4.4) |
47.9 (8.8) |
54.3 (12.4) |
62.9 (17.2) |
62.3 (16.8) |
56.1 (13.4) |
45.5 (7.5) |
35.0 (1.7) |
28.8 (−1.8) |
44.1 (6.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.0 (−5.0) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
35.5 (1.9) |
40.4 (4.7) |
46.8 (8.2) |
45.6 (7.6) |
39.9 (4.4) |
33.1 (0.6) |
27.8 (−2.3) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
32.8 (0.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.8 (−12.9) |
11.4 (−11.4) |
14.6 (−9.7) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
37.7 (3.2) |
37.9 (3.3) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
16.0 (−8.9) |
9.7 (−12.4) |
4.0 (−15.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−20 (−29) |
−2 (−19) |
6 (−14) |
20 (−7) |
26 (−3) |
29 (−2) |
29 (−2) |
22 (−6) |
8 (−13) |
1 (−17) |
−20 (−29) |
−20 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.67 (119) |
3.76 (96) |
3.67 (93) |
2.66 (68) |
2.04 (52) |
1.03 (26) |
0.49 (12) |
0.39 (9.9) |
0.68 (17) |
2.00 (51) |
3.97 (101) |
5.92 (150) |
31.28 (794.9) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 25.40 (64.5) |
23.50 (59.7) |
16.00 (40.6) |
9.20 (23.4) |
1.20 (3.0) |
0.10 (0.25) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.00 (0.00) |
0.10 (0.25) |
1.00 (2.5) |
14.80 (37.6) |
26.30 (66.8) |
117.6 (298.6) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 28 (71) |
30 (76) |
27 (69) |
9 (23) |
1 (2.5) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (2.5) |
8 (20) |
20 (51) |
38 (97) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 14.7 | 13.7 | 15.6 | 13.4 | 10.8 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 7.7 | 13.6 | 15.5 | 118 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.7 | 8.2 | 7.3 | 4.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 9.1 | 44.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA[6] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records, monthly max/mins & 1991-2020 snow depth)[7] | |||||||||||||
Flora and fauna
Howard Prairie Lake is known for its large number of rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass.[8] Ducks and geese inhabit the surrounding regions. The lake is surrounded by pine and fir forests in the Cascade Mountains.[1]
Recreation
Boating, water skiing, fishing, and camping at the three public campgrounds are popular activities at the lake.[1][9] Hiking and biking are also popular on trails around the lake. The Howard Prairie Lake Resort is located on the northern shore of the lake and features a large marina, boat ramp, restaurant, campground, and convenience store.[8]