9 Sep 2020

Corps closes recreation areas due to Willamette Valley fires

Due to multiple fires burning throughout the Willamette Valley, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District is closing all of the recreation areas it manages near its dams.

25 Jan 2018

Cougar Dam Road closure extended

The road over Cougar Dam and Reservoir, located on the South Fork of the McKenzie River, will remain closed due to construction and a geotechnical investigation through the end of February 2018. The west side of Cougar Reservoir and access to Terwilliger Hot Springs from Forest Service Road 19, about 3 miles south of the dam, remains blocked due to rockfall.

14 Jul 2017

Caution to boaters - Reservoir drawdowns to impact flows on McKenzie River

The Oregon State Maine Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are alerting boaters to expect higher water levels due to drawdowns on Cougar and Blue River reservoirs that feed into the McKenzie River.

23 Jun 2017

Living with dams: deluge an ever-present possibility

If Cougar were to completely fail, that water would rush 60 miles down the McKenzie River, washing away everything in its path, until it reached the Eugene and Springfield area. The deluge could make Eugene and Springfield look like Corvallis, Oregon City and Portland after the Flood of 1996; although no dams failed during that event. That image, and the desire to do everything possible to keep it from becoming reality, was the backdrop for a recent inspection at Cougar Dam, May 24.