Cascade Canal
Encyclopedia
The Cascade Canal is a canal
located in Klamath
and Jackson
counties, in the U.S. State
of Oregon
. It delivers water from Fourmile Lake
in the Klamath River
watershed over the Cascade Divide
to Fish Lake
in the Rogue River
watershed.
It diverts approximately 5462 acre.ft annually into Fish Lake.
About 33 percent of the water diverted from Fourmile Lake is lost or spilled on the way to Fish Lake.
, the Fish Lake Water Company was established in 1898 to find a way to aid irrigation
in the region. The company proposed to enlarge Fish Lake and create Fourmile Lake for added water storage, diverting water from Fourmile Lake to Fish Lake to supplement Little Butte Creek
. Fourmile Lake Dam and Fish Lake Dam were constructed in 1906 and 1908, respectively. Construction of the Cascade Canal began in 1910. By 1915, 17000 feet (5,181.6 m) of the canal had been constructed. It was completed in the fall of 1915 when the last 7500 feet (2,286 m) of the canal was built, reaching Fish Lake.
It travels southeast, around a ridge named Rye Spur (sometimes known as Aye Spur).
At the edge of Rye Spur, the canal curves right forming a half-circle of about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) radius, then travels northwest until it meets Ursa Creek. At Ursa Creek, it turns sharply southwest, along Mount McLoughlin
's flanks. The canal is crossed by the Pacific Crest Trail
and Oregon Route 140 near the Cascade Divide.
It crosses the divide directly between Mount McLoughlin and Brown Mountain
, before descending to Fish Lake, at an elevation of 4639 feet (1,414 m). Overall, the canal drops a total of 1109 feet (338 m).Total drop calculated by subtracting Fish Lake's elevation from Fourmile Lake's elevation.
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
located in Klamath
Klamath County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge* Crater Lake National Park * Deschutes National Forest * Fremont National Forest * Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge* Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge...
and Jackson
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
counties, in the U.S. State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It delivers water from Fourmile Lake
Fourmile Lake
Fourmile Lake is a reservoir located above sea level in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. It is northeast of Medford....
in the Klamath River
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
watershed over the Cascade Divide
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
to Fish Lake
Fish Lake (Jackson County, Oregon)
Fish Lake is a reservoir located above sea level in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is northeast of Medford.Originally a natural lake, it was enlarged by the tall Fish Lake Dam, which impounds the north fork of Little Butte Creek, in the Rogue River watershed.-Geology:Fish Lake is...
in the Rogue River
Rogue River (Oregon)
The Rogue River in southwestern Oregon in the United States flows about in a generally westward direction from the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Known for its salmon runs, whitewater rafting, and rugged scenery, it was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act...
watershed.
It diverts approximately 5462 acre.ft annually into Fish Lake.
About 33 percent of the water diverted from Fourmile Lake is lost or spilled on the way to Fish Lake.
History
Because of water shortages in the nearby Rogue ValleyRogue Valley
The Rogue Valley is a farming and timber-producing region in southwestern Oregon in the United States. Located along the middle Rogue River and its tributaries in Josephine and Jackson counties, the valley forms the cultural and economic heart of Southern Oregon near the California border. The...
, the Fish Lake Water Company was established in 1898 to find a way to aid irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
in the region. The company proposed to enlarge Fish Lake and create Fourmile Lake for added water storage, diverting water from Fourmile Lake to Fish Lake to supplement Little Butte Creek
Little Butte Creek (Rogue River)
Little Butte Creek is a long tributary of the Rogue River located in the U.S. state of Oregon. Its drainage basin consists of approximately of Jackson County, and another in Klamath County. The north fork of the creek begins at Fish Lake, while the south fork begins near Brown Mountain. The two...
. Fourmile Lake Dam and Fish Lake Dam were constructed in 1906 and 1908, respectively. Construction of the Cascade Canal began in 1910. By 1915, 17000 feet (5,181.6 m) of the canal had been constructed. It was completed in the fall of 1915 when the last 7500 feet (2,286 m) of the canal was built, reaching Fish Lake.
Course
The Cascade Canal begins at Fourmile Lake, located 5748 feet (1,752 m) above sea level.It travels southeast, around a ridge named Rye Spur (sometimes known as Aye Spur).
At the edge of Rye Spur, the canal curves right forming a half-circle of about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) radius, then travels northwest until it meets Ursa Creek. At Ursa Creek, it turns sharply southwest, along Mount McLoughlin
Mount McLoughlin
Mount McLoughlin is a steep-sided lava cone built on top of a shield volcano in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon and within the Sky Lakes Wilderness area. It is one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. The mountain is north of Mount Shasta, south of Crater Lake, and west of Upper...
's flanks. The canal is crossed by the Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...
and Oregon Route 140 near the Cascade Divide.
It crosses the divide directly between Mount McLoughlin and Brown Mountain
Brown Mountain (Klamath County, Oregon)
Brown Mountain is a small cinder cone on top of a shield volcano located in Cascade Volcanic Arc in Klamath and Jackson counties, Oregon. Most of the mountain, including its peak, is in western Klamath County, but its western flanks trail off into eastern Jackson County...
, before descending to Fish Lake, at an elevation of 4639 feet (1,414 m). Overall, the canal drops a total of 1109 feet (338 m).Total drop calculated by subtracting Fish Lake's elevation from Fourmile Lake's elevation.