Whistlers Bend dam
Whistlers Bend
Whistlers Bend, located in Winchester, Oregon, is a privately owned dam on Bull Creek with a primary purpose designated as "Other." Constructed in 1960, this earth dam stands at 33 feet in height and spans 1070 feet in length, providing a storage capacity of 500 acre-feet. With a normal storage capacity of 350 acre-feet and a surface area of 34 acres, Whistlers Bend serves as a vital resource for water storage and management in the area.
Managed by the Oregon Water Resources Department, Whistlers Bend is regulated, inspected, and enforced by the state, ensuring its operational safety and compliance with regulatory standards. The dam has a low hazard potential and is currently rated as "Not Rated" in terms of condition assessment. With a maximum discharge capacity of 450 cubic feet per second, Whistlers Bend plays a crucial role in flood control and water resource management in Douglas County, Oregon.
As a key feature of the local watershed, Whistlers Bend serves as a critical infrastructure for maintaining water quality and quantity in the region. With its strategic location and design, this dam contributes to the overall resilience of the ecosystem and helps mitigate the impacts of climate change on water resources in the area. For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Whistlers Bend represents a vital piece of the puzzle in the sustainable management of water and the environment in Oregon.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Whistlers Bend -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Little River At Peel | 2,120 cfs | → |
| North Umpqua River At Winchester | 1,140 cfs | → |
| South Umpqua River Near Brockway | 345 cfs | → |
| Little Wolf Creek Near Tyee | 3 cfs | → |
| Steamboat Creek Near Glide | 123 cfs | → |
| Umpqua River Near Elkton | 1,530 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Whistlers Bend.
Boat launches
- Whistlers Bend Park
- Colliding Rivers
- Cooper Creek East
- Douglas County
- Lone Rock Drift Boat Access
- Lone Rock Drift Boat Ramp
Campgrounds
- Whistlers Bend County Park
- Amacher County Park
- Amacher Park
- Douglas County Fairgrounds Rv Park
- Cavitt Creek Falls Recreation Site
- Cavitt Creek Falls - North Umpqua River Ra
Track Whistlers Bend in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Whistlers Bend
Where does the data for Whistlers Bend come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Low hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Whistlers Bend.