Link River Dam
Encyclopedia
The Link River Dam is a concrete dam
on the Link River
in the city of Klamath Falls
, Oregon
. It was built in 1921 by the California Oregon Power Co. The dam was built to control the water level of Klamath Lake in order to maximize power production. Water stored behind the dam also supplies most of the water used for irrigation in the Klamath Reclamation Project.
The Link River Dam diverts water to two hydroelectric power plants located downstream. The two turbines are part of a group of seven projects, supplying 151 MW for PacifiCorp
. PacifiCorp recently announced the Link River power projects will be abandoned as the cost to repair the canal and pipeline supplying the power turbines is too high to be economically viable.
The dam itself is 22 feet (7 m) high and 435 feet (133 m) long. It can allow an outflow of 3,000 ft³/s (85 m³/s) with 1,000 ft³/s (28 m³/s) through the Ankeny Canal (seen in the photograph), 290 ft³/s (8 m³/s) through the Keno Canal, and the rest being dumped down the Link River into Lake Ewauna
. The two canals serve PacifiCorp's hydroelectric turbines before flowing back into the river.
Link River Dam's reservoir, Klamath Lake, has a capacity of 873000 acre.ft.
formed the "Linkville Water Ditch Company." They dug a low capacity canal that connected their homes with the Link River. William Steele
extended the ditch by 15 miles in 1884. After his death in 1888 the Klamath Falls Irrigation Company took over the canal. It is now known as the Ankeny Canal.
Charles and Rufus Moore dug a canal on the other side of the Link River in 1877 to power a sawmill and transport logs
from Upper Klamath Lake. This later became known as the Keno Canal.
On February 24, 1917, officials from the USBR and the California-Oregon Power Company reached an agreement to lease the Keno Canal for ten years at a rate of $1000 per annum. The agreement also allowed the power company to regulate the outflows of Klamath Lake.
The California-Oregon Power company placed a temporary low-crib dam near what is now Putnam's Point in 1919. Construction began on the dam on July 29, 1920.
Senator
George E. Chamberlain of Oregon telegraphed Secretary of the Interior
John B. Payne on August 20, 1920, requesting he halt dam construction long enough to determine the legality of the 1917 contract. Payne issued a supplemental contract on December 10, and California-Oregon Power restarted construction on May 15, 1921, finishing it on October 29.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Link River
Link River
The Link River is a short river connecting Upper Klamath Lake to Lake Ewauna in the city of Klamath Falls in the U.S. state of Oregon. Draining a basin of , the river begins at the southern end of Klamath Lake and flows a short distance to the Link River Dam and continues to the head of Lake Ewauna...
in the city of Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
, 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 was built in 1921 by the California Oregon Power Co. The dam was built to control the water level of Klamath Lake in order to maximize power production. Water stored behind the dam also supplies most of the water used for irrigation in the Klamath Reclamation Project.
The Link River Dam diverts water to two hydroelectric power plants located downstream. The two turbines are part of a group of seven projects, supplying 151 MW for PacifiCorp
PacifiCorp
PacifiCorp is an electric power company in the northwestern United States.PacifiCorp has three primary subsidiaries:# Pacific Power is a regulated electric utility with service territory throughout Oregon, northern California, and southeastern Washington.# Rocky Mountain Power is a regulated...
. PacifiCorp recently announced the Link River power projects will be abandoned as the cost to repair the canal and pipeline supplying the power turbines is too high to be economically viable.
The dam itself is 22 feet (7 m) high and 435 feet (133 m) long. It can allow an outflow of 3,000 ft³/s (85 m³/s) with 1,000 ft³/s (28 m³/s) through the Ankeny Canal (seen in the photograph), 290 ft³/s (8 m³/s) through the Keno Canal, and the rest being dumped down the Link River into Lake Ewauna
Lake Ewauna
Lake Ewauna is a lake in Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States. It is the headwaters of the Klamath River. Fed by Link River from Upper Klamath Lake and controlled by the release of water from Keno Dam downstream, Lake Ewauna stays at a constant level throughout the year.At just over 6,500 feet ...
. The two canals serve PacifiCorp's hydroelectric turbines before flowing back into the river.
Link River Dam's reservoir, Klamath Lake, has a capacity of 873000 acre.ft.
History
In 1878, five years after the Modoc Wars, residents of LinkvilleKlamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
formed the "Linkville Water Ditch Company." They dug a low capacity canal that connected their homes with the Link River. William Steele
William Steele
William Steele was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1654. He was Lord Chancellor of Ireland....
extended the ditch by 15 miles in 1884. After his death in 1888 the Klamath Falls Irrigation Company took over the canal. It is now known as the Ankeny Canal.
Charles and Rufus Moore dug a canal on the other side of the Link River in 1877 to power a sawmill and transport logs
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
from Upper Klamath Lake. This later became known as the Keno Canal.
On February 24, 1917, officials from the USBR and the California-Oregon Power Company reached an agreement to lease the Keno Canal for ten years at a rate of $1000 per annum. The agreement also allowed the power company to regulate the outflows of Klamath Lake.
The California-Oregon Power company placed a temporary low-crib dam near what is now Putnam's Point in 1919. Construction began on the dam on July 29, 1920.
Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
George E. Chamberlain of Oregon telegraphed Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
John B. Payne on August 20, 1920, requesting he halt dam construction long enough to determine the legality of the 1917 contract. Payne issued a supplemental contract on December 10, and California-Oregon Power restarted construction on May 15, 1921, finishing it on October 29.