The Sweet Home Valley of the South Santiam River

South Santiam River

The South Santiam River is a tributary of the Santiam River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of the Cascade Range into the Willamette Valley east of Corvallis....

 runs from an area known as The Narrows near the western edge of the city of Sweet Home, Oregon

Sweet Home, Oregon

Sweet Home is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. The population was 8,016 at the 2000 census. Sweet Home is sometimes referred to as the "Gateway to the Santiam Playground", due to its proximity to nearby lakes, rivers and the Cascade Mountains....

 to the confluence of the South Santiam and Middle Santiam

Middle Santiam River

The Middle Santiam River is a tributary of the South Santiam River, long, in western Oregon in the United States. It drains a remote area of the Cascade Range east of Corvallis in the watershed of the Willamette River....

 rivers at Foster Reservoir

Foster Reservoir

Foster Reservoir is a reservoir created by Foster Dam on the South Santiam River near the city of Sweet Home, Oregon, United States. The reservoir is approximately 5.6 km long and contains approximately 494 ha when full. Primary use of the reservoir is recreation in the summer and flood...

 on the east. Extending on either side of the South Santiam, nearly all of the valley south of the river is inside the city of Sweet Home while the valley north of the river remains unincorporated. Prior to the construction of Foster Dam

Foster Dam

Foster Dam is an embankment type rock-fill dam across the South Santiam River near Sweet Home, Oregon, United States.Designed by the Corps of Engineers, it began service on August 22, 1968. Its primary purpose is flood control but it also provides power, navigation improvement downstream and...

, the area inundated by Foster Reservoir was occupied by several ranches and farms.