Detroit Lake

About Detroit Lake

Detroit Lake is conveniently located in Salem, Oregon, USA and is an important water source that supplies the city of Salem and its surrounding communities. Detroit Lake has a maximum depth of 440 feet, with water levels fluctuating about 25 feet per day. The maximum altitude is 1,669 feet above sea level, but this figure varies by about 110 feet per year, making it difficult for boats to get on the water at certain times of the year.

To solve this problem, a ramp was built on the east side of the lake, south of Detroit Lake Dam. In 1953, the US Army Corps of Engineers built the Detroit Lake Dam, and a transcontinental Oregon and Pacific Railroad was planned at the time.

The dam is one of the eight highest in the world and is located on the north side of Detroit Lake, south of Portland, Oregon, USA.

The gravity-driven concrete dam with a guarded overflow basin has two generators that can generate up to 100,000 kilowatts of energy. It consists of a combination of North Santiam River inlets controlled by the Detroit Lake Project, as well as water from other sources.

Facilities include a fully equipped campsite with swimming pool, swimming hole and floating toilet. The latter has always been popular and is located on the reverent island, which also offers a beautiful campsite. This park offers 300 pitches, some reserved and some open to the public, as well as a number of private campsites.

On the Detroit Lake mainland, horseshoe, basketball and volleyball courts are available, and the high season runs from May to September. The Willamette National Forest stretches for 110 miles and covers 1.6 million acres around Detroit Lake. Here grow thick Douglas fir, pine, firs, birches, elms, pines, oaks, hickory, cedars and other tree species, as well as a variety of shrubs and grasses. The topography of the forest ranges from volcanic peaks to the steep slopes of the Cascade Range, the highest point in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, with a total height of 2,500 feet.

Detroit Lake offers a wide range of recreational activities including fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping, fishing and other outdoor activities. The lake is home to an impressive number of animal species, which include a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds of prey, as well as a variety of plants and animals.

Ospreys, waterfowl and bald eagles can be seen all over the lake, as well as many other species of birds of prey such as owls, falcons, ospreys, peregrine falcons, geese and other birds of prey. The fishermen at Detroit Lake like to fish all year round - and every year rainbow trout and salmon are caught. Other large catches are bluefish, perch, whitefish, trout, salmon, whale, chum, blackbird and more. Hiking is another popular activity at Detroit Lake and there are some busy trails near and around the lake.

There are a number of beautiful hiking trails in the surrounding area, some of which offer breathtaking views and great training.

Other activities nearby include hiking, camping, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking and other outdoor activities such as hiking and camping.

Animal lovers will appreciate the variety of critters that roam the waters of Detroit Lake, as well as the abundance of fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians. New things to see and do, such as a floating toilet, water slides and other outdoor activities, are a fun distraction when not taking advantage of the beautiful views of Lake Michigan, the Oregon coast and the Pacific Ocean.