Crane Prairie Reservoir
Crane Prairie Reservoir is a man-made lake named for the cranes that thrive in its habitat and for the upper Deschutes River prairie that once covered the area before the dam on the Deschutes was constructed in 1922. The relatively shallow crystal-clear lake features picturesque views of South Sister and Mount Bachelor on the horizon. This is one of central Oregon's premier wildlife viewing sites because it attracts so many nesting and/or migrating birds. Depending on the season, waterfowl and shorebirds could include Pacific loon, double-crested cormorant, Eurasian wigeon, ring-necked duck, northern shoveler, Barrow's goldeneye, common goldeneye, great blue heron, and greater yellowlegs. Look for a remarkable number of osprey and bald eagle that nest here each year. On summer mornings or evenings, you may glimpse Rocky Mountain elk grazing the lakeside meadows. Look for American beaver or their stick lodges close to shore. (Deschutes National Forest, Oregon, USA)
