Howard Prairie Lake

{{Infobox body of water

| name = Howard Prairie Lake

| image = Howard Prairie Lake.jpg

| alt = Aerial view of Howard Prairie Lake

| caption = Howard Prairie Lake from its southern shore

| image_bathymetry =

| caption_bathymetry =

| location = Jackson County, Southern Oregon, United States

| coords = {{coord|42|12|59|N|122|22|35|W|region:US-OR_type:waterbody_source:gnis|display=inline,title}}

| type = Reservoir

| inflow = Water diverted from Little Butte Creek

| outflow = Beaver Creek

| catchment = {{convert|79|sqmi|km2|0}}

| basin_countries = United States

| length =

| width = | area = {{convert|1990|acre|km2|0}}

| depth = {{convert|35|ft|m|0}}

| max-depth = {{convert|80|ft|m|0}}

| volume = {{convert|62100|acre.ft|m3|-2}}

| residence_time =

| shore =

| elevation = {{convert|4526|ft|0}}

| islands = Buck, Doe, and Fawn

| cities =

| pushpin_map = Oregon#USA

| pushpin_label_position = top

| pushpin_map_alt = Location of Howard Prairie Lake in Oregon, USA.

| pushpin_map_caption =

| website =

| reference =

}}

Howard Prairie Lake is a reservoir located {{convert|4526|ft|m|0}} above sea level in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is {{convert|18|mi|km|0}} east of Ashland. The lake is formed by the {{convert|100|ft|adj=on|0}} tall Howard Prairie Dam, which impounds Beaver Creek, in the Klamath River watershed.{{cite web

| url = http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Rogue+River+Basin+Project

| title = Rogue River Basin Project

| publisher = United States Bureau of Reclamation

| date = May 16, 2011

| accessdate = June 27, 2011

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111112080152/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Rogue+River+Basin+Project

| archive-date = November 12, 2011

| url-status = dead

}}

History

The reservoir was created in 1958 when the {{convert|100|ft|adj=on|0}} tall earth fill dam was completed by the Talent Division of the Rogue River Basin Project.{{cite web

| url = http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Howard+Prairie+Dam&groupName=General

| title = Howard Prairie Dam – General

| publisher = United States Bureau of Reclamation

| date = April 30, 2009

| accessdate = June 27, 2011

| archive-date = September 26, 2012

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120926033713/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Howard+Prairie+Dam&groupName=General

| url-status = live

}}

A canal diverting water from nearby Little Butte Creek, (in the Rogue River watershed), to the lake was also completed.

Statistics

Howard Prairie Lake has an average surface area of {{convert|1990|acre|km2|0}}, and an average volume of {{convert|62100|acre.ft|m3|-2}}. It has a maximum depth of {{convert|80|ft|m|0}}, and an average depth of {{convert|35|ft|m|0}}.

{{cite book

| first1 = William

| last1 = Loy

| first2 = Stuart

| last2 = Allan

| first3 = Aileen

| last3 = Buckley

| first4 = James

| last4 = Meacham

| title = Atlas of Oregon

| publisher = University of Oregon Press

| year = 2001

| edition = 2nd

| page = 167

| isbn = 978-0-87114-101-9}} Retrieved on April 8, 2009.

The lake has a {{convert|79|sqmi|km2|adj=on|0}} drainage basin.{{cite web

| url = http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Rogue%20River%20Basin%20Project&pageType=ProjectDataPage

| title = Rogue River Basin Project – Project Data

| publisher = United States Bureau of Reclamation

| date = May 16, 2011

| accessdate = June 27, 2011

| archive-date = September 26, 2012

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120926033252/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Rogue%20River%20Basin%20Project&pageType=ProjectDataPage

| url-status = live

}}

During the 2020–21 North American drought, the lake reached 4% capacity.{{cite web |last1=Mills |first1=Mariah |title=Lakes on south end of Jackson Co. continue to experience historically low water levels |url=https://kobi5.com/news/local-news/lakes-on-south-end-of-jackson-co-continue-to-experience-historically-low-levels-165509/ |website=KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210825020547/https://kobi5.com/news/local-news/lakes-on-south-end-of-jackson-co-continue-to-experience-historically-low-levels-165509/ |archive-date=25 August 2021 |date=25 August 2021 |url-status=live}}

Climate

{{Weather box

|location = Howard Prairie Dam, Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, 1960–2020 extremes: 4567ft (1392m)

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 59

|Feb record high F = 67

|Mar record high F = 73

|Apr record high F = 82

|May record high F = 92

|Jun record high F = 95

|Jul record high F = 100

|Aug record high F = 100

|Sep record high F = 97

|Oct record high F = 89

|Nov record high F = 71

|Dec record high F = 55

|year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 47.7

|Feb avg record high F = 52.5

|Mar avg record high F = 61.9

|Apr avg record high F = 70.5

|May avg record high F = 79.6

|Jun avg record high F = 86.1

|Jul avg record high F = 91.6

|Aug avg record high F = 91.4

|Sep avg record high F = 87.0

|Oct avg record high F = 76.3

|Nov avg record high F = 58.1

|Dec avg record high F = 45.7

|year avg record high F = 92.2

|Jan high F = 36.1

|Feb high F = 39.6

|Mar high F = 44.6

|Apr high F = 50.5

|May high F = 60.2

|Jun high F = 68.3

|Jul high F = 79.0

|Aug high F = 79.0

|Sep high F = 72.4

|Oct high F = 58.0

|Nov high F = 42.2

|Dec high F = 34.8

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 29.5

|Feb mean F = 31.6

|Mar mean F = 35.2

|Apr mean F = 40.0

|May mean F = 47.9

|Jun mean F = 54.3

|Jul mean F = 62.9

|Aug mean F = 62.3

|Sep mean F = 56.1

|Oct mean F = 45.5

|Nov mean F = 35.0

|Dec mean F = 28.8

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 23.0

|Feb low F = 23.5

|Mar low F = 25.9

|Apr low F = 29.5

|May low F = 35.5

|Jun low F = 40.4

|Jul low F = 46.8

|Aug low F = 45.6

|Sep low F = 39.9

|Oct low F = 33.1

|Nov low F = 27.8

|Dec low F = 22.7

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = 8.8

|Feb avg record low F = 11.4

|Mar avg record low F = 14.6

|Apr avg record low F = 22.0

|May avg record low F = 27.0

|Jun avg record low F = 31.7

|Jul avg record low F = 37.7

|Aug avg record low F = 37.9

|Sep avg record low F = 31.2

|Oct avg record low F = 24.0

|Nov avg record low F = 16.0

|Dec avg record low F = 9.7

|year avg record low F = 4.0

|Jan record low F = -20

|Feb record low F = -20

|Mar record low F = -2

|Apr record low F = 6

|May record low F = 20

|Jun record low F = 26

|Jul record low F = 29

|Aug record low F = 29

|Sep record low F = 22

|Oct record low F = 8

|Nov record low F = 1

|Dec record low F = -20

|year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 4.67

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.76

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.67

|Apr precipitation inch = 2.66

|May precipitation inch = 2.04

|Jun precipitation inch = 1.03

|Jul precipitation inch = 0.49

|Aug precipitation inch = 0.39

|Sep precipitation inch = 0.68

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.00

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.97

|Dec precipitation inch = 5.92

|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 25.40

|Feb snow inch = 23.50

|Mar snow inch = 16.00

|Apr snow inch = 9.20

|May snow inch = 1.20

|Jun snow inch = 0.10

|Jul snow inch = 0.00

|Aug snow inch = 0.00

|Sep snow inch = 0.10

|Oct snow inch = 1.00

|Nov snow inch = 14.80

|Dec snow inch = 26.30

|year snow inch =

|Jan snow depth inch = 28

|Feb snow depth inch = 30

|Mar snow depth inch = 27

|Apr snow depth inch = 9

|May snow depth inch = 1

|Jun snow depth inch = 0

|Jul snow depth inch = 0

|Aug snow depth inch = 0

|Sep snow depth inch = 0

|Oct snow depth inch = 1

|Nov snow depth inch = 8

|Dec snow depth inch = 20

|year snow depth inch = 38

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 14.7

|Feb precipitation days = 13.7

|Mar precipitation days = 15.6

|Apr precipitation days = 13.4

|May precipitation days = 10.8

|Jun precipitation days = 5.2

|Jul precipitation days = 2.2

|Aug precipitation days = 2.0

|Sep precipitation days = 3.6

|Oct precipitation days = 7.7

|Nov precipitation days = 13.6

|Dec precipitation days = 15.5

|year precipitation days =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 8.7

|Feb snow days = 8.2

|Mar snow days = 7.3

|Apr snow days = 4.7

|May snow days = 0.6

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.1

|Oct snow days = 0.7

|Nov snow days = 5.3

|Dec snow days = 9.1

|year snow days =

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00354060&format=pdf

|title = Howard Prairie Dam, Oregon 1991-2020 Monthly Normals

|access-date = September 6, 2023

}}

|source 2 = XMACIS2 (records, monthly max/mins & 1991-2020 snow depth)

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS

|access-date = March 12, 2024

}}

Flora and fauna

Howard Prairie Lake is known for its large number of rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass.{{cite web

| url = http://www.howardprairieresort.com/

| title = Howard Prairie Lake Resort

| publisher = Howard Prairie Lake Resort

| accessdate = March 31, 2009

| archive-date = April 15, 2009

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090415112058/http://www.howardprairieresort.com/

| url-status = live

}}

Ducks and geese inhabit the surrounding regions. The lake is surrounded by pine and fir forests in the Cascade Mountains.

Recreation

Boating, water skiing, fishing, and camping at the three public campgrounds are popular activities at the lake.{{cite web

| url = http://www.howardprairieresort.com/recreation.html

| title = Recreation

| publisher = Howard Prairie Lake Resort

| accessdate = April 12, 2009

| archive-date = April 16, 2009

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090416221406/http://www.howardprairieresort.com/recreation.html

| url-status = live

}}

Hiking and biking are also popular on trails around the lake. The Howard Prairie Lake Resort is located on the northern shore of the lake and features a large marina, boat ramp, restaurant, campground, and convenience store.