I’ll admit it. I don’t usually put dams on my itinerary, but a dam with no water? That is worth a stop.
A short drive from Bend is a relic of the early days of reclamation in Oregon. Farmers needed land, so water was drained; land needed water, and irrigation transformed desert into productive farmland. It’s the story of the West, and Tumalo Dam tells that story with a twist.
In 1902, a scam artist named William Laidlaw arrived in Central Oregon and sold farmers promises of irrigated farmland; he sold far more water rights than were ever available (anyone want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?), pocketed the equivalent of $13 million, and left angry landowners to hang him in effigy.
That project had failed, but farmers still needed water. Built in 1914, the Tumalo Dam was intended to remedy the chaos that Laidlaw had left behind by creating a reservoir that would supply irrigation water to nearby farms. There was just one problem: it couldn’t hold water. The volcanic ground under the planned reservoir was riddled with lava tubes and fractures, allowing the water to seep out almost as quickly as it filled.
The project was abandoned, but the dam still stands, its concrete walls covered in graffiti and pockmarked bullet holes–a reminder that the Wild West still lingers in unexpected areas. The dry reservoir is now managed by the Bureau of Land Management as the Tumalo Natural Area, where visitors can explore both the area and this unusual piece of Oregon history.
It’s off the beaten path, but if you enjoy quirky roadside stops with a side of history, Tumalo Dam is well worth the detour. Check out the one day itinerary here.
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