The Middle Fork of the Willamette River is approximately 100 miles long, originating at Timpanogas Lake, about 40 miles southeast of Oakridge. It joins the Willamette River near Springfield, just outside Eugene. Along its course, the river is dammed three times: Hills Creek Dam (furthest upstream), Lookout Point Dam, and Dexter Dam.

These dams are essential for for flood control, hydroelectric power, and water storage. However, they also disrupt fish migration and the river’s natural flow. Efforts are ongoing to balance human needs with ecological restoration along the river. (Map)

The Middle Fork of the Willamette River is one of the few places where the threatened bull trout continues to thrive.

Native to Oregon, bull trout are protected under the Endangered Species Act and serve as an indicator species of a healthy, cold, and clean water ecosystem. Their survival depends on well-oxygenated water below 55°F year-round. (That’s cold!) Bull trout also thrive in the Metolius, McKenzie, Malheur, John Day, and Imnaha Rivers.

As top predators, bull trout primarily feed on other fish. Migratory individuals can grow over 30 inches long and weigh more than 10 pounds, making them one of Oregon’s largest native trout species.

To protect these rare fish and the ecosystems they represent, strict catch-and-release regulations are enforced in Oregon waters.

For the next 14 miles, you’ll roughly trace the route of the Free Emigrant Road. (Click on map.)

In 1853, a wagon train led by Elijah Elliott attempted this shorter route to the Willamette Valley. The emigrants faced severe hardships, including harsh weather, starvation, and nearly impassable terrain in the Cascades. With dwindling supplies and broken wagons, they endured grueling conditions until settlers from the Eugene and Oakridge areas organized a rescue approximately 3.5 miles south of the southernmost point of Hills Creek Reservoir, delivering life-saving provisions. From Oakridge to Eugene City, they followed the riverbed, crossing it 27 more times. Read the full story here.

Hills Creek Dam is a 304-foot tall, 1,920-foot long rockfill earthen embankment dam with a concrete spillway, three spillway gates, an intake structure with regulating outlet, and a powerhouse. Hills Creek dam is owned, operated, and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Construction of the dam began in 1956 and was completed in 1961. Hills Creek is part of a system of 13 multi-purpose dams in the Willamette Valley with the primary purpose of flood risk management and secondary purposes of hydropower.

During the winter months, the reservoirs are maintained at their lowest elevations to allow for the temporary storage of rain and snowmelt. When managing high flow events, the outflow from the system of dams is coordinated to reduce peak flows. In spring, the Army Corps begins to fill the reservoirs. During summer, stored water is used for recreation on the reservoirs, and some stored water is released in the river downstream to improve water quality, produce hydropower, support fish and wildlife habitat, and provide water for irrigation and municipal uses. During dry summer months, flows into the reservoirs are generally less than flows needed to meet minimum flow objectives, causing reservoir levels to drop. In fall, stored water remaining in the reservoir is drawn down to minimum levels in preparation for the flood season.

Pioneer cabins were typically small, 200 to 400 square feet, built from locally sourced logs with mud or moss to seal drafts. They featured wooden shingle roofs and minimal windows. Inside, the cabin was simply furnished with a table, chairs, sleeping pallets, and shelves for essentials like tools and dishes. Dimly lit by oil lamps or candles, meals were cooked over an open fire, relying on staples like bread and preserved meat. Hills Creek, named after John J. Hill, commemorates his settlement near its mouth in 1870, with the dam and lake also carrying his name.