McGuire Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McGuire Reservoir |
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 McGuire Reservoir
Location in Oregon
McGuire Reservoir
Location in the United States
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| Location | Yamhill County, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°18′00″N 123°24′02″W / 45.30000°N 123.40056°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 136.4 acres (55.2 ha) |
| Water volume | 9,800 acre-feet (12,100,000 m3) |
| Shore length1 | 4.8 miles (7.7 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,893 feet (577 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
McGuire Reservoir is a large artificial lake in Yamhill County, Oregon, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was created by building a dam on the upper part of the Nestucca River. This reservoir is very important because it provides most of the untreated water for McMinnville Water and Light. This company then cleans and delivers drinking water to the city of McMinnville, Oregon.
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McGuire Reservoir: A Water Source
McGuire Reservoir is not a natural lake. It is an "impoundment," which means it was formed when a dam was built across a river. This dam holds back the river's water, creating a large body of water behind it. Reservoirs like McGuire are essential for many communities. They store water for drinking, farming, and sometimes even for generating electricity.
Why Reservoirs Are Important
Reservoirs play a big role in our daily lives. They help manage water resources, especially in areas where rainfall might not be consistent throughout the year. By storing water, reservoirs ensure that cities and towns have a steady supply of clean water, even during dry seasons. They also help control floods by holding back excess water during heavy rains.
Supplying Drinking Water
The main job of McGuire Reservoir is to supply "raw water" to McMinnville. Raw water is water that comes straight from a natural source, like a river or a reservoir, before it has been treated. This water is then sent to a treatment plant. At the plant, it goes through many steps to remove dirt, germs, and other things that could make people sick. After treatment, the water is safe to drink and is sent to homes and businesses in McMinnville.
How Water Gets to Your Tap
The journey of water from McGuire Reservoir to your tap is quite amazing. First, the raw water is taken from the reservoir. Then, it travels through pipes to a water treatment plant. Here, it is filtered and disinfected. Finally, the clean, safe drinking water is pumped through a network of pipes to reach every home in the city.
How the Reservoir Grew
McGuire Reservoir has changed over time. In the 21st century, a big project was done to make the reservoir larger. Before this project, the reservoir covered an area of about 136 acres (55 ha). Its shoreline, which is the edge where the water meets the land, was about 4.8 miles (7.7 km) long.
Expanding Water Storage
The expansion project was a major undertaking. It significantly increased how much water the reservoir could hold. The amount of water it could store went from about 3,760 acre-feet (4,640,000 m3) to a much larger 9,800 acre-feet (12,100,000 m3). This means the reservoir can now store more than twice as much water as it could before. This extra storage capacity is very important for ensuring that McMinnville has enough water for its growing population, especially during times of drought.
