PRINEVILLE, OR -- Prineville Reservoir is full for the first time in two years. Local businesses hope that means campgrounds and resorts will soon fill up, as well.
Sun Rocks RV Park Manager Jason Wilson is preparing for what he hopes is a busy Memorial Day weekend at the reservoir, “It’s going to definitely be a boon for business. And one of the things it will retrigger for us is the ability to offer nightly stays there, whether it be tent camping or RV camping.”
He tells KBND News only long-term stays were available when the water was low, due to lack of interest, “Traffic was way down for a number of years now. And so, we’re planning to market to folks, and get signage out. We’re pretty excited. There’s going to be a lot more traffic on that road in 2023. The traffic count out there, the ability to draw destination recreation folks…it wasn’t non-existent, but it was way, way down”. Sun Rocks RV Park is a few miles from the reservoir, “We were just out there and everything’s nice and green, flowers are blooming and we have high expectations going into Memorial Day”, said Wilson.
The U-S Bureau of Reclamation reports Prineville is now at 100% capacity, Ochoco reservoir is at 66% and Haystack is at 88%, as of May 17th.
Water levels at or near capacity also benefit summer irrigators.
