Hydroelectric dams generate electricity by blocking the flow of moving water and then releasing it to move electricity-generating turbines. Oregon contains some of the biggest hydroelectric dams and longest rivers in the U.S., such as the Klamath and Columbia River.
Erected in 1938, the Bonneville Dam dams the entire Columbia River and actually sits in two states: Oregon and Washington. This dam is located in a larger nature preserve called the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the Cougar Dam in February of 1964, and it is still in service on the Mackenzie River in South Fork, Oregon. This dam has the ability to generate 25 megawatts of energy, but also acts to control flooding around the area.
The Detroit dam operates on the North Santiam River in Detroit, Oregon. The dam mainly serves to store 100 megawatts of electricity, with up to a 115 megawatt storage capability if necessary. This dam can also be used for recreational activities and to provide irrigation to local farmers.
Foster hydroelectric dam occupies space on the South Santiam River in Foster, Oregon. This dam mainly serves agricultural purposes and flooding control, but it also has a 20 megawatt electricity generation capacity.
The John Jay, finished in 1971 after 13 years of construction at a cost of $511 million, is one of the youngest dams in Oregon. During the 1970s it was the second largest dam in the world. At its peak, this dam generates 2.2 million kilowatts of power--enough energy for more than two cities the size of Seattle.
Six dams comprise the Klamath Hydroelectric Project (KHP) and produce a combined 154 megawatts of energy. Since 2006, Indian tribes have fought to remove at least four of the KHP's dams due to pollution and fish mobility concerns.
The Link River Dam was completed in 1921 and has a very short height for a dam--only 16 feet. As of 2004, the U.S. government no longer uses it for energy production and it only remains to dam the Upper Klamath Lake.
The Keno dams the area south of Lake Ewauna was built to generate electricity, but no power facilities were ever built. The company than owns it, PacifiCorps, plans to remove Keno due to its negative impact on the local fish life.
The National Marine Fisheries thinks that the Copco 1 and 2 Dams should also be removed due to their negative impact on fishing in the river, but as of 2010 the only plans are to increase water flow through Copco 2.
The largest dam in the Klamath Hydroelectric Project, the Iron Gate Dam project, began in 1964 to help correct water flow problems from Copco 2. Local Indian tribes have sued owner PacifiCorps because the Iron Gate increases the amount of toxic algae in the Klamath River.
The John C. Boyle Dam inhabits the upper Klamath River, just a few miles north of the Califoria/Oregon border. This is also a popular destination for whitewater rafters; the dam sits near a 7-mile trek of water called Hell's Corner.
