Cascade Canal
{{Short description|Canal in Oregon, United States}}
The Cascade Canal is a canal located in Klamath and Jackson counties, in the U.S. State of Oregon. It delivers water from Fourmile Lake in the Klamath River watershed over the Cascade Divide to Fish Lake in the Rogue River watershed.{{cite web|publisher=United States Bureau of Reclamation |title=Biological Assessment on Continued Operation and Maintenance of the Rogue River Basin Project and Effects on Essential Fish Habitat under the Magnuson-Stevens Act |date=August 2003 |url=http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/rogue/pdf/final.pdf |access-date=November 29, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905061453/http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/rogue/pdf/final.pdf |archive-date=September 5, 2008 }}
It diverts approximately {{convert|5462|acre.ft|m3}} annually into Fish Lake.
{{cite web
|title=Water Imports and Exports Between The Rogue and Upper Klamath Basin
|first=Jonathan
|last=La Marche
|date=February 22, 2001
|access-date=November 29, 2009
|url=http://www1.wrd.state.or.us/files/studies/klamath-adr/hydrology%20model%20output/Klamath%20Basin%20Water%20Imports%20and%20Exports.doc
|format=DOC
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720093130/http://www1.wrd.state.or.us/files/studies/klamath-adr/hydrology%20model%20output/Klamath%20Basin%20Water%20Imports%20and%20Exports.doc
|archive-date=July 20, 2011
}}
About 33 percent of the water diverted from Fourmile Lake is lost or spilled on the way to Fish Lake.
History
Because of water shortages in the nearby Rogue Valley, the Fish Lake Water Company was established in 1898 to find a way to aid irrigation in the region. The company proposed to enlarge Fish Lake and create Fourmile Lake for added water storage, diverting water from Fourmile Lake to Fish Lake to supplement Little Butte Creek. Fourmile Lake Dam and Fish Lake Dam were constructed in 1906 and 1908, respectively. Construction of the Cascade Canal began in 1910. By 1915, {{convert|17000|ft|m}} of the canal had been constructed. It was completed in the fall of 1915 when the last {{convert|7500|ft|m}} of the canal was built, reaching Fish Lake.{{cite web
|publisher = United States Bureau of Land Management
|url = http://www.usbr.gov/projects/ImageServer?imgName=Doc_1245096680248.pdf
|title = The Rogue River Basin Project Talent Division
|access-date = November 29, 2009
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110614223340/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/ImageServer?imgName=Doc_1245096680248.pdf#
|archive-date = 2011-06-14
|url-status = dead
}}
Course
The Cascade Canal begins at Fourmile Lake, located {{convert|5748|ft|m}} above sea level.
{{cite map
|publisher=Benchmark Maps
|title=Oregon Road and Recreation Atlas
|edition=4th
|year=2010
|scale=1:250,000
|page=97
|isbn=978-0-929591-62-9}}
It travels southeast, around a ridge named Rye Spur (sometimes known as Aye Spur).
{{cite gnis
|id=1148881
|name=Rye Spur
|entrydate=November 28, 1980
|access-date=November 29, 2009}}
At the edge of Rye Spur, the canal curves right forming a half-circle of about {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} radius, then travels northwest until it meets Ursa Creek. At Ursa Creek, it turns sharply southwest, along Mount McLoughlin's flanks. The canal is crossed by the Pacific Crest Trail and Oregon Route 140 near the Cascade Divide.
{{cite book
|title=Oregon and Washington: From the California Border to the Canadian Border
|first=Jeffrey
|last=Schaffer
|page=83
|publisher=Wilderness Press
|year=2004
|edition=7th
|isbn=978-0-89997-375-3
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ODpB-el9p0C&pg=PA83}}
It crosses the divide directly between Mount McLoughlin and Brown Mountain, before descending to Fish Lake, at an elevation of {{convert|4639|ft|m}}. Overall, the canal drops a total of {{convert|1109|ft|m}}.Total drop calculated by subtracting Fish Lake's elevation from Fourmile Lake's elevation.
Notes
{{reflist|group=Note}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{coord|42|25|04|N|122|14|07|W|display=title}}
Category:Transportation buildings and structures in Jackson County, Oregon
Category:Transportation buildings and structures in Klamath County, Oregon