Barney Reservoir
The Eldon S. Mills Dam and Barney Reservoir are located at the headwaters of the North Fork Trask River in Oregon's northern Coast Range. The rock dam was originally completed in 1970 and expanded for capacity in 1999. Rainwater and snow melt are collected throughout the year in the reservoir, then released during summer months to meet customers' water needs and enhance water quality, flow, and fish habitat in the Trask and Tualatin rivers.
Barney Reservoir is named for J.W. Barney and Mills Dam is named for Eldon S. Mills, both former Hillsboro City Managers and key leaders in the original dam construction and later expansion. The Barney Reservoir was completed by the City of Hillsboro to provide the city’s municipal and industrial water. The original capacity was 4000-acre feet, and the Eldon S. Mills Dam was 1600 feet above sea level. The cost of construction was approximately $2.5 million. A 36-inch pipeline that is 6,500 feet in length was constructed to divert water from the Trask River to the Tualatin River, at a cost of $400,000
The $28.5 million expansion project spanned five years and increased storage capacity fivefold. The reservoir now holds 20,000-acre feet, with the dam at 1640 feet above sea level. It took 760,000 cubic yards of rock to form the backbone of the dam expansion.
The Barney Reservoir is municipally owned, and operations are overseen by the Barney Reservoir Joint Ownership Commission (BRJOC). The BRJOC was formed in 1994 and includes one representative from each member agency of the JWC and also a representative from Clean Water Services.
Recreation Information
Reservoir Joint Ownership
| Tualatin Valley Water District | 35% |
| City of Hillsboro | 31% |
| City of Beaverton | 21.5% |
| Clean Water Services | 10% |
| City of Forest Grove | 2.5% |
| Trask River & Fish Habitat Flow Enhancement | 15% |
Barney is open to the public but many of the roads around the reservoir are private. Gates may be closed without warning. Information kiosks are located along Trask River Road and at Roaring Creek Road. This is a drinking water source. If you visit, please practice "Leave No Trace."
- All activities are at your own risk.
- No motorboats are allowed (gas, electric, or diesel-powered).
- Non-motorized watercrafts are allowed (canoes, kayaks, floatable, etc.).
- No publicly accessible boat ram or launch facilities are available.
- Catch and release fishing only. ODFW does not stock the reservoir. Bait is not allowed (flied and lures only).
Trask River Sirens
Emergency sirens are installed along the Trask River in the unlikely event of dam failure. The sirens are tested on the second Monday of each month to familiarize downstream residents with the emergency notification and ensure they are in proper working order.
In the event of an evacuation:
- When you hear the sirens alarming for more than one minute, act immediately.
- Secure your home.
- Leave the areas downstream of the dam as soon as possible.
Downstream residents are encouraged to sign up to receive Tillamook County Emergency Alerts.