News Release Archive

Reclamation to Permanently Close Owyhee Dam Boat Ramp for Safety Concerns

Media Contact: Kelly Bridges, (208) 378-5101, kbridges@usbr.gov
Mark Arana, marana@usbr.gov

For Release: April 29, 2016

ADRIAN, Oregon - The Bureau of Reclamation is permanently closing the Owyhee Dam Boat Ramp May 31 due to safety concerns. A temporary closure has been in effect since 2015. The boat ramp is located about 1 mile upstream of Owyhee Dam, which is located on the Owyhee River in Oregon, about 50 miles west of Boise, Idaho.

"Public safety is the main factor in this decision," said Mark Arana, natural resource manager. "The ramp is unsafe for both vehicle use and swimming due to sudden drop-offs underwater. It is closed to all public use including pedestrian, horseback riders and vehicle access."

The intake access route, known locally as the Owyhee Dam Boat Ramp, was built for the construction and maintenance of Tunnel No. 1, which supplies water to the Owyhee North and South canals. The ramp was not designed for public use and does not meet federal accessibility requirements. The ramp is also deteriorating due to wave action eroding material underneath the concrete slabs of the access route.

Lake Owyhee State Park provides nearby recreation access to Owyhee Reservoir. Gordon Gulch Boat Ramp, within Lake Owyhee State Park, is located 2 miles south of the Owyhee Dam Boat Ramp and the newly reconstructed Indian Creek Boat Ramp is located 4 miles south of Owyhee Dam Boat Ramp. The Indian Creek Boat Ramp has overflow parking and a fish cleaning station.

For boat ramp elevations, visit http://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/ramps.

The Owyhee Project lies west of the Snake River in Malheur County, Oregon, and Owyhee County, Idaho. The project furnishes a full irrigation water supply to more than 105,000 acres on the west side of the Snake River in eastern Oregon and southwest Idaho. The key feature is Owyhee Dam, which was completed in 1932 and acts as both a storage and diversion structure.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Relevant Link:

http://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/ramps