# Howard Prairie Lake

Howard Prairie Lake is a reservoir located 4,526 feet (1,380 m) above sea level in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is 18 miles (29 km) east of Ashland. The lake is formed by the 100-foot (30 m) tall Howard Prairie Dam, which impounds Beaver Creek, in the Klamath River watershed.

## History

The reservoir was created in 1958 when the 100-foot (30 m) tall earth fill dam was completed by the Talent Division of the Rogue River Basin Project. A canal diverting water from nearby Little Butte Creek, (in the Rogue River watershed), to the lake was also completed.

## Statistics

Howard Prairie Lake has an average surface area of 1,990 acres (8 km$^2$), and an average volume of 62,100 acre-feet (76,599,200 m$^3$). It has a maximum depth of 80 feet (24 m), and an average depth of 35 feet (11 m). The lake has a 79-square-mile (205 km$^2$) drainage basin.
During the 2020–21 North American drought, the lake reached 4% capacity.

## Climate

Climate data for Howard Prairie Dam, Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, 1960–2020 extremes: 4567ft (1392m) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) | 67 (19) | 73 (23) | 82 (28) | 92 (33) | 95 (35) | 100 (38) | 100 (38) | 97 (36) | 89 (32) | 71 (22) | 55 (13) | 100 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 47.7 (8.7) | 52.5 (11.4) | 61.9 (16.6) | 70.5 (21.4) | 79.6 (26.4) | 86.1 (30.1) | 91.6 (33.1) | 91.4 (33.0) | 87.0 (30.6) | 76.3 (24.6) | 58.1 (14.5) | 45.7 (7.6) | 92.2 (33.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.1 (2.3) | 39.6 (4.2) | 44.6 (7.0) | 50.5 (10.3) | 60.2 (15.7) | 68.3 (20.2) | 79.0 (26.1) | 79.0 (26.1) | 72.4 (22.4) | 58.0 (14.4) | 42.2 (5.7) | 34.8 (1.6) | 55.4 (13.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 31.6 (−0.2) | 35.2 (1.8) | 40.0 (4.4) | 47.9 (8.8) | 54.3 (12.4) | 62.9 (17.2) | 62.3 (16.8) | 56.1 (13.4) | 45.5 (7.5) | 35.0 (1.7) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 44.1 (6.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.0 (−5.0) | 23.5 (−4.7) | 25.9 (−3.4) | 29.5 (−1.4) | 35.5 (1.9) | 40.4 (4.7) | 46.8 (8.2) | 45.6 (7.6) | 39.9 (4.4) | 33.1 (0.6) | 27.8 (−2.3) | 22.7 (−5.2) | 32.8 (0.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.8 (−12.9) | 11.4 (−11.4) | 14.6 (−9.7) | 22.0 (−5.6) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 31.7 (−0.2) | 37.7 (3.2) | 37.9 (3.3) | 31.2 (−0.4) | 24.0 (−4.4) | 16.0 (−8.9) | 9.7 (−12.4) | 4.0 (−15.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) | −20 (−29) | −2 (−19) | 6 (−14) | 20 (−7) | 26 (−3) | 29 (−2) | 29 (−2) | 22 (−6) | 8 (−13) | 1 (−17) | −20 (−29) | −20 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.67 (119) | 3.76 (96) | 3.67 (93) | 2.66 (68) | 2.04 (52) | 1.03 (26) | 0.49 (12) | 0.39 (9.9) | 0.68 (17) | 2.00 (51) | 3.97 (101) | 5.92 (150) | 31.28 (794.9) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 25.40 (64.5) | 23.50 (59.7) | 16.00 (40.6) | 9.20 (23.4) | 1.20 (3.0) | 0.10 (0.25) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.10 (0.25) | 1.00 (2.5) | 14.80 (37.6) | 26.30 (66.8) | 117.6 (298.6) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 28 (71) | 30 (76) | 27 (69) | 9 (23) | 1 (2.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (2.5) | 8 (20) | 20 (51) | 38 (97) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 14.7 | 13.7 | 15.6 | 13.4 | 10.8 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 7.7 | 13.6 | 15.5 | 118 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.7 | 8.2 | 7.3 | 4.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 5.3 | 9.1 | 44.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records, monthly max/mins & 1991-2020 snow depth) ||||||||||||||

## Flora and fauna

Howard Prairie Lake is known for its large number of rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass. Ducks and geese inhabit the surrounding regions. The lake is surrounded by pine and fir forests in the Cascade Mountains.

## Recreation

Boating, water skiing, fishing, and camping at the three public campgrounds are popular activities at the lake. Hiking and biking are also popular on trails around the lake. The Howard Prairie Lake Resort is located on the northern shore of the lake and features a large marina, boat ramp, restaurant, campground, and convenience store.