Prineville Reservoir

Prineville Reservoir
Prineville Reservoir
Prineville Reservoir
LocationCrook County, Oregon,
United States
Coordinates44°06′36″N 120°47′08″W / 44.11000°N 120.78556°W / 44.11000; -120.78556
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsCrooked River, Bear Creek, Sanford Creek, Deer Creek, Alkali Creek, Antelope Creek, Owl Creek
Primary outflowsCrooked River
Catchment area2,635 sq mi (6,825 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area3,030 acres (12 km2)
Max. depth130 ft (39.6 m)
Water volume150,200 acre⋅ft (185,300,000 m3)
Shore length143 mi (69.2 km)
Surface elevation3,257 ft (993 m)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

The Prineville Reservoir is in the high desert hills of Central Oregon, Oregon, United States. The reservoir is on the Crooked River 14 miles (22.5 km) southeast of Prineville, and 29 miles (46.7 km) east of Bend. This reservoir is a popular retreat for most of Central Oregon. It is near the geographic center of Oregon. Prineville Reservoir State Park is managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Prineville Reservoir was created by damming, via the Arthur R. Bowman Dam, the Crooked River upstream from Prineville. The reservoir is part of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Crooked River Project, flooding a juniper- and sagebrush-filled canyon, and was finished in 1961. The dam and reservoir are owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, and operated under contract by Ochoco Irrigation District. Prineville Reservoir covers 18 miles (29 km) of the Crooked River and is primarily an irrigation storage water body, with secondary objectives of Crooked River flood control and public recreation. Prineville Reservoir has a maximum depth of 130 feet (40 m) and storage of just over 150,000 acre-feet (190,000,000 m3) of water.

The northeast end of Prineville Reservoir is a designated wildlife management area; these 3,800 acres (15 km2) of both land and water provide a refuge for wildlife.