BIG CLIFF
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 18 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Marion County
- Operator
- USACE NORTHWESTERN DIVISION
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1954
- EIA plant ID
- 3074
- Coordinates
- 44.7514, -122.2833
BIG CLIFF, an 18 MW Hydro power plant in Marion County, Oregon. Operated by USACE NORTHWESTERN DIVISION, commissioned 1954.
Weather peril exposure
BIG CLIFF is an 18 MW hydro power plant in Marion County, OR, operated by USACE NORTHWESTERN DIVISION, commissioned in 1954. Marion County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.2 of 5 at the 4th national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 97th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Marion County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 5.6 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 53rd | 3.1 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 35th | 2.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 26th | 2.1 of 5 | 0.64 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.13 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | 0.71 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 6th | 1.2 of 5 | 7.3 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 5th | 1.2 of 5 | 18.4 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | 0.10 |
Perils not assessed in Marion County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Marion County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.