Poe Dam, Gravity dam in Butte County, United States

Poe Dam is a concrete gravity dam in Butte County that holds back water from the Feather River area. The structure sits in a narrow canyon section where water management and power generation occur through engineered systems.

The dam was completed in 1959 as part of a power project developed along the Feather River Canyon. This construction played a key role in the region's energy infrastructure.

Poe Dam is a popular whitewater kayaking site on the North Fork Feather River, with flows released through four radial gates measuring 50 by 41 feet. The dam takes its name from the Poe Powerhouse, the 120-megawatt station 6.3 miles downstream that its diversion tunnel feeds on the upper reaches of Lake Oroville.

Poe Dam sits about 5 miles north of Lake Oroville, reached via the North Fork Feather River canyon. The dam is a working diversion structure feeding a 6.3-mile tunnel to the Poe Powerhouse, so expect industrial water flows rather than a visitor facility. Kayakers use the site; check flow and access conditions before setting out.

The Camp Fire of November 8, 2018, which destroyed Concow and Paradise, started near Poe Dam where power lines had come down across the Feather River. PG&E said at first that the cause was undetermined and that an investigation would follow. The dam is also a popular kayaking site.