Dam in Linn County/Marion County, Oregon From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Detroit Dam is a gravity dam on the North Santiam River between Linn County and Marion County, Oregon. It is located in the Cascades, about 5 mi (8.0 km) west of the city of Detroit. It was constructed between 1949 and 1953 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The dam created 400-foot (120 m) deep Detroit Lake, more than 9 miles (14 km) long with 32 miles (51 km) of shoreline.[4][5][6]
| Detroit Dam | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Detroit Dam on the North Santiam River | |
  Location of Detroit Dam in Oregon | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Detroit, Linn County/Marion County, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 44.7209556°N 122.2497972°W |
| Purpose | Flood control, power, irrigation |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1949 |
| Opening date | 1953 |
| Construction cost | $13,615,000 (1953 est.)[1] equiv. to $155 million today[2] |
| Owner(s) | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete gravity |
| Impounds | North Santiam River |
| Height | 463 ft (141 m) |
| Length | 1,523.5 ft (464.4 m) |
| Elevation at crest | 1,580 ft (480 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Detroit Lake |
| Total capacity | 455,000 acre⋅ft (561,000,000 m3) |
| Active capacity | 321,000 acre-feet (396,000,000 m3) |
| Catchment area | 437 sq mi (1,130 km2) |
| Surface area | 3,500 acres (14 km2) |
| Maximum length | 9 mi (14 km) |
| Normal elevation | 1,569 ft (478 m) (full) |
| Commission date | 1953 |
| Type | Conventional |
| Turbines | 2 x 100 MW Francis-type[3] |
| Installed capacity | 100 MW |
It is one of the dams authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938.[7] Construction was delayed largely due to World War II. The dam, dedicated on June 10, 1953,[8] was authorized for the purposes of flood control, power generation, navigation, and irrigation. Other uses are fishery, water quality, and recreation. It was built in concert with the Big Cliff Dam downstream.[1]
In 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that this dam was at risk of failing in a large earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone, which would result in a "potentially catastrophic flood", which could potentially affect Oregon's state capital, Salem, located downstream.[9] For this reason, the level of the reservoir was lowered by five feet, to reduce the stress on the concrete structure.[10]
Source:[11]
