History of Chiloquin Dam

The Chiloquin Dam was built on the Sprague River in 1914 near the town of Chiloquin, OR. The dam its self was built to be 220 feet wide and 11 feet high. At the time of its construction, there was no fish passage system installed which would have allowed for fish migration up stream. Chiloquin Dam was constructed by the U.S. Indian Service in order to provide irrigation water for the Modoc Point Unit of the Klamath Indian Reservation. The water provided by the dam would be used by the Klamath Tribe to irrigate crops grown on their reservation. The dam produces no hydroelectric power. Ownership of the dam was later transferred to the Modoc Point Irrigation District in 1973 following the termination of the Klamath Tribe. Over its nearly 100 year history, the dam has undergone several modifications to allow for fish passage; with the last modification being the installation of a fish ladder.