Summary
French Lake Reservoir (National ID # CA00247) is a reservoir in Nevada County, California.
| French Lake Reservoir | |
|---|---|
 | |
  French Lake Reservoir | |
| Location | Nevada County, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°25′15″N 120°32′32″W / 39.420700°N 120.542248°W |
| Built | 1859, reconstructed 1948 |
| Surface area | 1.36 km2 (0.53 sq mi) |
| Water volume | Max 17,000,000 m3 (14,000 acre⋅ft) |
| References | [1] |
The earthen, rock-fill French Lake Dam was first constructed in 1859, and is a candidate for the first use of rock-fill in an engineered dam.[1] Reconstructed in 1948, it impounds Canyon Creek for flood control, irrigation water storage, municipal drinking water, and hydropower. The dam is 100 feet (30 m) high, with a length of 300 feet (91 m) at its crest.[2] It is one of ten facilities operated by Nevada Irrigation District.
Overview edit
French Lake Reservoir has a surface area of 337 acres (136 ha) and a maximum capacity of 13,800 acre-feet (17,000,000 m3). The site is surrounded by Tahoe National Forest. The adjacent namesake townsite of French Lake, California is a ghost town of the California Gold Rush era.