Kingsley Reservoir, a major water source for Hood River valley agriculture, will play an even bigger role in the coming years.
So will its adjoining campground, according to early plans by Hood River County.
Farmers Irrigation District plans to expand the basin in fall 2018, raising the water elevation at Upper Kingsley Reservoir by 11 feet — boosting its overall storage capacity by 50 percent.
The pool would crest its banks and flood about 16 acres of neighboring county forest land, including the popular Kingsley Reservoir Campground. From there, the county plans to shift the campground from the east bank to the southwest side of the reservoir.
Les Perkins, FID manager, said the reservoir project came in response to historic water shortages that valley irrigation districts face on dry summers.
“We’ll have more water available for Kingsley late in the season, when more irrigation (occurs),” Perkins said of the expansion.
A 2015 Hood River Basin study predicted water shortages “will be more frequent and severe in the future.” That summer, the county declared a drought emergency. Irrigation districts urged customers to conserve water, and FID even went on a mandatory rotation schedule.
Among conservation endeavors, FID applied for a state grant to replace about two miles of leaky pipelines and raise Kingsley Reservoir’s storage capacity. The Oregon Water Resources Department backed their project with $3 million last May to help get the dual job done.
The projects aim to improve flexibility for the agriculture industry, and health for the river ecosystem, including salmon populations, according to FID’s grant application.
Perkins, who is also a county commissioner, said the county has supported the reservoir proposal.
So far, the Hood River County Board of Commissioners have given the basic go-ahead for the forestry department’s role in the campground deal. The reservoir project will involve a land trade with FID, which requires a vote by the board, Perkins said. Commissioners will also need to approve finished designs for the new campground.
FID will be “on the hook” to pay for replacing the campground. The irrigation district is still gathering information and navigating regulatory “hoops” leading up to the project’s final plan.
New campground
Once the reservoir project culminates, a second endeavor begins: replacing the decommissioned campground with a replacement, likely on the opposite bank.
Kingsley Reservoir Campground, owned by the county forestry department, is tucked about 12 miles southwest of Hood River, accessible from Kingsley Road off Binns Hill Road. It offers about 20 spaces, a boat ramp, a portable toilet, and an array of picnic tables. Its season runs from April 1 to Oct. 31.
A web of county-owned forest trails surrounds the lake, offering terrain for various outdoor enthusiasts, from hikers and bikers to ATV vehicle riders and campers.
The county received a state grant last year from Oregon Parks and Recreation District (separate from FID’s reservoir grant) to hire a consultant who will develop a plan for the newly repositioned park, beginning work this spring.
Doug Thiesies, county forest manager, said the county had considered improvements to Kingsley Campground in the past, but the FID reservoir project “fast-tracked” the concept.
He anticipates the new campground will have equal or more spaces than the existing Kingsley Reservoir Campground — though plans remain fluid.
“I expect we will have at least the same amount of capacity when we re-open in 2019, although we really need to wait and see what the design consultant comes up with as well as apply for campground development grants,” Thiesies said.
Tentatively, the campground will open for its normal summer season this year and close on Labor Day in September, remaining closed for about a year in the wake of the reservoir flood.
Kingsley Campground is not as heavily used as the county’s more maintained Tucker or Tollbridge Parks, which have permanent amenities. Its services would improve, however, if the county hired a full-time campground host, which leaders are considering.
According to forestry officials, the recreational appeal is already evident.
“Every year it seems we get more and more folks looking for a place to come on the weekend and ride,” Thiesies said.
Commented