 Construction of the Round Butte Dam was completed in 1964 across the Deschutes River.Operated by Portland General Electric (PGE), and jointly owned by PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the dam and lake primarily provide electric generation for thousands of homes throughout the state.The Confederated Tribes named the lake in honor of Billy Chinook, a member of the Wasco tribe who acted as a guide in 1843 and 1844 for John C. Frémont and Kit Carson in the region of the lake.