Built by the Bureau of Reclamation to provide irrigation water for Canyon County agriculture, Lake Lowell opened in 1909 and is one of the largest off-stream reservoirs in the American west, with the capacity to irrigate over 200,000 acres of land. It has also become a popular recreation destination for the county’s citizens and visitors. Boating, swimming and fishing are among the many activities that folks enjoy at this beautiful oasis in southwest Idaho. Bird watching, hiking and hunting are other recreation options due to the presence of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Deer Flat National Refuge, also established in 1909. As part of the wildlife refuge, recreation on Lake Lowell’s shoreline and waters may be subject to seasonal restrictions.