Smith River (McKenzie River tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smith River |
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 Location of the mouth of Smith River in Oregon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Linn |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Cascade Range Willamette National Forest 4,456 ft (1,358 m) 44°22′41″N 122°04′20″W / 44.37806°N 122.07222°W |
| River mouth | McKenzie River Trail Bridge Reservoir 2,090 ft (640 m) 44°16′22″N 122°02′58″W / 44.27278°N 122.04944°W |
The Smith River is a river in Oregon, a state in the United States. It flows into the McKenzie River in Linn County.
This river starts high up in the Cascade Range mountains, near a place called Browder Ridge. It then flows south through the Willamette National Forest. The Smith River joins the McKenzie River at Trail Bridge Reservoir. This meeting point is about 82 miles (132 km) upstream from where the McKenzie River flows into the Willamette River.
The Smith River has three smaller streams that flow into it. These streams are called Gate Creek, Browder Creek, and Bunchgrass Creek. All three join the Smith River from its right side as you look downstream.
Camping at Lakes End Campground
About halfway along its path, the Smith River flows into Smith Reservoir. This lake can hold a lot of water, covering about 170 acres (69 ha) when full.
There is a special campground called Lakes End near the top of the lake. You can only get to this campground by boat. You launch your boat from the south end of the reservoir, about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) away.
Lakes End is a simple campground with 17 spots for tents. It has toilets and picnic tables for campers to use. However, there is no drinking water available at the site. The campground is usually open for visitors from May to September each year.
How Smith River Helps Make Electricity
Smith Reservoir is very important because it helps create electricity. It acts like a big storage tank for water. This water is then used to power two electricity plants along the McKenzie River.
The Carmen–Smith Hydroelectric Project is a system that makes electricity from water. It is owned by the Eugene Water and Electric Board. This project moves water through a tunnel from another lake, Carmen Diversion Reservoir, into Smith Reservoir. Smith Reservoir is larger and can hold more water.
From Smith Reservoir, the water travels through pipes to the Carmen Power Plant. After the water helps make electricity there, it flows into Trail Bridge Reservoir. Then, it goes through the Trail Bridge Power Plant to make even more electricity. Finally, the water returns to the McKenzie River below the Trail Bridge Dam. This whole project is about 70 miles (110 km) east of Eugene. It can produce a lot of electricity, up to 114 megawatts (MW).
