The Detroit Lake reservoir was created with the completion of the Detroit Dam in 1953 by the Army Corps of Engineers. Although the reservoir was created primarily for power generation and flood control, today Detroit Lake is a very popular recreation site in the Cascade Mountain Range. Romtec designed this large log pavilion and accompanying restroom building to match the rustic environment around Detroit Lake and to accommodate the large number of park patrons. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department manages the Detroit Lake Recreation Area in partnership with the Willamette National Forest.