Wickiup Dam Flows: A Historical Perspective

Man walking across river on log in 1947

In 1947, the Oregon State Game Commission documented what happened when flows at Wickiup Dam were reduced to 50 cubic feet per second (cfs) from about 650 cfs. The Commission, now the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, implored the state to permit minimum winter flows of no less than 200 cfs. However, in 1955 the State Engineer unilaterally set the legal minimum winter flow at 20 cfs. Since 2015, thanks to the hard work of many, the low flows will not dip below 100 cfs. We’re headed in the right direction: modernize irrigation and restore the river!