McKay Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids McKay Reservoir |
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Dusk on a south shore
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 McKay Reservoir
Location in Oregon
McKay Reservoir
Location in the United States
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| Location | Umatilla County, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°36′19″N 118°47′54″W / 45.605408°N 118.798318°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | McKay Creek |
| Primary outflows | McKay Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) |
| Max. width | 0.5 miles (800 m) |
| Water volume | 65,534 acre⋅ft (80,835,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 1,240 feet (380 m) |
McKay Reservoir is a large, man-made lake in Umatilla County, Oregon. It was created by building a dam across McKay Creek, which flows into the Umatilla River. You can find this reservoir about 6 kilometers (or 4 miles) south of Pendleton, right off U.S. Route 395.
This reservoir can hold a lot of water, about 65,534 acre-feet. The land around the reservoir is part of the McKay Creek National Wildlife Refuge. This special area helps protect many different kinds of animals and plants. The reservoir and the creek are named after Dr. William C. McKay. He was an early settler who moved to the Pendleton area around 1851.
Building the Reservoir
The McKay Dam was built between 1923 and 1927. It was a big project by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. This group helps manage water resources in the United States. The dam was part of a larger plan called the Umatilla Basin Project, which started in 1908. Another dam nearby, the Cold Springs Dam, was also part of this project.
The main purpose of McKay Dam is to provide extra water for farming. It helps supply water to irrigation districts like Stanfield and Westland.
How the Dam Works
The McKay Dam is an earth-fill dam. This means it's made mostly of earth and rock, but it also has parts made of strong concrete. The dam stands 158 feet (about 48 meters) high.
The reservoir can hold a total of 71,534 acre-feet of water. A part of this water, about 6,000 acre-feet, is kept just for flood control. This means it can store extra water during heavy rains to prevent flooding downstream. In the late 1970s, the dam's spillway was updated. A spillway is like a giant drain that lets out extra water safely. This update made it able to handle much more water, going from 10,000 to 27,000 cubic feet per second.
Wildlife and Nature
McKay Reservoir is a very important place for nature. It is managed by both the Bureau of Reclamation and the McKay Creek National Wildlife Refuge. They work together to make sure there's enough water for farms and a safe habitat for many animals.
You can see lots of different wildlife here. For example, large birds like osprey and bald eagles live around the reservoir. It's also a great spot for many kinds of waterfowl, which are birds that live near water, like ducks and geese.
Fishing at McKay Reservoir
If you like to fish, you can do so at McKay Reservoir from March through September. The shallow parts of the reservoir have marshes and wetlands. These areas are perfect for many types of fish that like warmer water.
Some of the fish you might catch include rainbow trout, crappie, sunfish, and yellow perch. You might also find brown bullhead catfish, and both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.
