Dexter Reservoir

Dexter Reservoir (also known as Dexter Lake) is a reservoir in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is about 16 miles (26 km) southeast of Eugene on the Middle Fork Willamette River, immediately downriver from Lookout Point Lake, another reservoir. The communities of Dexter and Lowell are near the lake. Oregon Route 58 follows the lake's southern shore, while Pengra Road parallels the lake's northern shore as far east as Lowell. Dexter Dam, 117 feet (36 m) high, impounds up to 29,900 acre feet (36,900,000 m3) of water in the reservoir. The powerhouse at the dam can generate 15,000 kilowatts of electricity. The lake and three adjacent state parks are used for water sports and other outdoor recreation. The two reservoirs, Dexter and Lookout Point, were created in 1954 when the United States Army Corps of Engineers finished building the dams that contain them. Dexter exists partly to control water surges from the upstream lake during Lookout Point's production of hydroelectricity. Dexter Lake's water levels vary greatly, while the flow below Dexter Dam remains relatively steady. The Dexter and Lookout Point projects are among 13 that the Corps built in the Willamette Valley.