Speedboats bob on the water at Ochoco Reservoir last summer.

I love the Ochocos.

These mountains east of Prineville aren’t as lofty or as classically alpine as the Cascades; they aren’t studded with lakes or spangled with a profusion of rivers and creeks.

What they are is a juniper- and pine-scented, wide-open alternative to the regal Cascade range.

Nestled at the base of the Ochocos, about five miles east of Prineville, is Ochoco Reservoir. I pass it often on the way elsewhere, appreciate the rimrock mesas lording over the southern shore, the blue of the water, the ocher of the rocky shoreline. But I rarely stop.

It was a far different vibe when I visited the reservoir on a holiday weekend last summer when Ochoco Lake County Park could have been the poster child for multiple use.

The smell of fossil fuel was redolent in the air.

Boaters were buzzing everywhere, roosters tailed jet skis around and around, families picnicked and swam and played Frisbee. At the center of this recreational storm, Norma Detroit, of Prineville, and her father, Norman Rupert, of Klamath Falls, were trying to catch fish. To no avail.

Up at the Lake Street Store, proprietor Kim Vail said fishing had been excellent and life was good.

It is possible, even during a hectic long weekend, to find a secluded little pocket where you can fish in relative peace, contemplate the earth-tone beauty of the place or just watch the passing parade far out on the water.

Ochoco Reservoir is fed by Ochoco Creek with headwaters high in the mountains to the east. Mill Creek, a major tributary, flows into the reservoir at its eastern end.

With all the activity, it’s easy to lose sight that the original and continuing purpose of the four-mile-long impoundment is a practical one. Ochoco Reservoir provides the farmers and ranchers below with water for their crops. Those emerald fields between Prineville and the dam used to be dusty scrublands. Then, in 1916, local landowners organized the Ochoco Irrigation District. The district built Ochoco Dam between 1918 and 1921, according to fifth-generation Oregonian Jerry Brummer, whose great-grandfather helped with the construction.

I met Brummer at Bowman Museum in Prineville, a must-see for anyone even remotely interested in High Desert history or the old days in Crook County. Brummer, who serves on the Bowman Mu-seum board, referred me to a book, ”The History of Crook Co. Oregon, 1994,” written by various Crook County citizen historians.

According to that volume, fill material to build the dam was taken from the hills surrounding Ochoco Creek and transported by water in flumes to the construction site. The dam was rebuilt in 1947 and 1994.

All of that construction and maintenance made for a big, beautiful aquatic playground. And a nice introduction to the Ochocos.

Ochoco Lake County Park is about seven miles east of Prineville on state Highway 26. The campground there, operated by the Crook County Parks and Recreation District, has 22 vehicle campsites ($15) available on a first-come-first-served basis. Four hiker/biker tent sites are available at $4 per night.