Lake Billy Chinook Part 1

Please click on the photos for larger viewing
Deer was an added view to this beautiful drive on the rim of the lake, there is also
bird viewing area.They make nests in the rocks. We saw no birds on this trip.

About 10-12 million years ago, alternating layers of
stream sediments, volcanic debris and basaltic lava
flowed from the Cascade Mountain Range into a huge
basin in this area. Named the “Deschutes Formation,”
these exposed layers of material were capped by lava
flows from Cascade volcanos three million years ago.
Known as “rimrock basalt,” the cap is easily seen
high atop the steep cliffs of the canyons. Subsequent
periods of dramatic water erosion and volcanic
activity have formed the awe-inspiring canyons and
vertical cliffs seen today.





Lake Billy Chinook has existed since 1964 when
Portland General Electric constructed the Round Butte
Dam. The lake was named for Billy Chinook, a wellknown
Wasco Indian scout from the Warm Springs
region who traveled with explorer John Fremont in
1843.
PGE operated the Round Butte Hydroelectric Project
until 1999 when it entered into an agreement with The
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to co-manage
the hydroelectric facilities. The project generates approximately
800,000 megawatts electricity per year for
residents in the Portland metropolitan area.
Surrounded by mostly public lands, Lake Billy Chinook
includes 72 miles of shoreline and a surface area of
4,000 acres. Its deepest point is 400 feet at Round Butte
Dam. The reservoir stays full, or within one foot of full,
from June 15-September 15.Our next stop will be crossing the bridge to The Palisades State Park