# Lake Cascade

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**Lake Cascade** (formerly **Cascade Reservoir**),[1] is a [reservoir](/source/Reservoir) in the [western](/source/Western_United_States) [United States](/source/United_States), on the [North Fork](/source/North_Fork_Payette_River) of the [Payette River](/source/Payette_River) in [Valley County](/source/Valley_County,_Idaho), [Idaho](/source/Idaho). Located in the [Boise National Forest](/source/Boise_National_Forest), it has a surface area of 47 square miles (122 km2), and is the fourth largest lake or reservoir in the state. The closest cities are [Cascade](/source/Cascade,_Idaho), [Donnelly](/source/Donnelly,_Idaho), and [McCall](/source/McCall,_Idaho), all in the Long Valley of Valley County.

Following a delay due to [World War II](/source/World_War_II), the earthen dam was built by the [Bureau of Reclamation](/source/United_States_Bureau_of_Reclamation), completed in 1948.[2] The term "Lake Cascade" came into common use in the 1990s, with the federal name change made in 1999.[1]

## Recreation

The lake contains perch, [trout](/source/Trout), [smallmouth bass](/source/Smallmouth_bass), [Kokanee salmon](/source/Kokanee_salmon), and [Coho salmon](/source/Coho_salmon) for anglers. As well, [ice fishing](/source/Ice_fishing) is popular at the lake. [Lake Cascade State Park](/source/Lake_Cascade_State_Park) has several units around the lake.

## Sport fish restoration

In 2003 the [Idaho Department of Fish and Game](/source/Idaho_Department_of_Fish_and_Game) (IDFG) proposed draining Lake Cascade to facilitate the removal of pikeminnow and the addition of [sport fish](/source/Game_fish), such as [perch](/source/Perch). [Pikeminnows](/source/Ptychocheilus) are considered problematic to sport fishing in Lake Cascade because they are [predators](/source/Predator) that live up to 15 years and compete for food stocks.[3] Issues involved in mitigating damage during the lowering of the lake level include maintaining an adequate supply for [irrigation](/source/Irrigation), providing a steady stream for [power](/source/Hydroelectricity), maintaining salmon flow augmentation, and other [water rights](/source/Water_right). The [U.S. Bureau of Reclamation](/source/U.S._Bureau_of_Reclamation) manages the reservoir and estimated the draining could take place over the course of a year at a cost of $100,000 to $300,000.[4] The U. S. Bureau of Reclamation withdrew its application for an [Environmental Impact Statement](/source/Environmental_Impact_Statement) studying the [drawdown](/source/Drawdown_(hydrology)) citing "that the draining of Lake Cascade is not a viable option for sport fish restoration."[5]

## Water quality

The lake experienced a [bloom](/source/Algal_bloom) of [blue-green algae](/source/Blue-green_algae) in 1993 caused by low water, high [phosphorus](/source/Phosphorus) content, and hot weather. Studies of water quality found phosphorus to be present in high levels which contributed to the algal bloom. Beginning in 1995, the water quality was monitored and an improvement plan was implemented to lower the phosphorus by 37 percent. By 2003 the lake had 57 percent less phosphorus than the initial monitoring in 1995 due to the [best management practices](/source/Best_Management_Practice) adopted in the [drainage basin](/source/Drainage_basin) of the lake.[6]

## Tamarack Resort

[Tamarack Resort](/source/Tamarack_Resort) is located on the west shore of the reservoir, southwest of Donnelly.

## References

1. Dalrymple, Helen (February 2000). ["What's in a Name? The Work of the Domestic Names Committee"](https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0002/name.html). U.S. Library of Congress. Information Bulletin. Retrieved March 2, 2013.

1. [*Cascade Dam*](https://web.archive.org/web/20110613145857/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Cascade%20Dam). [Bureau of Reclamation](/source/United_States_Bureau_of_Reclamation). Archived from [the original](http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Cascade%20Dam) on June 13, 2011. Retrieved 2010-08-19.

1. "Lake Cascade: Q & A." Idaho Statesman 13 April 2003: A4.

1. Phillips, Roger (April 13, 2003). ["Lake Cascade: Will draining work? Plan may revive one of state's favorite fishing spots"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070927090905/http://www.fwee.org/news/getStory?story=1130). *Idaho Statesman*. pp. A1+. Archived from [the original](http://www.fwee.org/news/getStory?story=1130) on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-08.

1. ["Operational Changes in Support of Lake Cascade Fishery Restoration, Boise Project, Payette Division, ID"](https://archive.today/20121213160913/http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2004/April/Day-16/i8627.htm). *Federal Register*. **69** (74): 20639. April 16, 2004. fr16ap04-77. Archived from [the original](http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2004/April/Day-16/i8627.htm) on December 13, 2012. Retrieved 2007-07-08.

1. ["Forestry, Agricultural, and Stormwater Best Management Practices Improve Quality of Reservoir"](https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=901V0D00.PDF). *Section 319 Nonpoint source program success story: Idaho*. [EPA](/source/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency) Office of Water. 2005. EPA 841-F-05-004C. Retrieved 2007-07-08.

## External links

- [Idaho Fish and Game](https://web.archive.org/web/20071226132734/http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/fish/anglerguides/cascade.cfm) — Cascade Reservoir
- [U.S. Bureau of Reclamation](http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Cascade%20Dam) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110613145857/http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Facility.jsp?fac_Name=Cascade%20Dam) June 13, 2011 at the Wayback Machine — Cascade Dam
- [U.S. Bureau of Reclamation](https://web.archive.org/web/20120122092111/http://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/boipaytea.cfm) - major storage reservoirs in the Boise & Payette River basins - current levels & flows
- [Pictures of Cascade](http://picturesofcascade.com/viewlandmarks.php?idnum=13) – Cascade Dam spillway – June 2006

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lake Cascade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Cascade) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Cascade?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.