Silverwood Lake

Silverwood Lake
Location San Bernardino County, California
Coordinates 34°18′14″N 117°19′05″W / 34.30389°N 117.31806°W / 34.30389; -117.31806Coordinates: 34°18′14″N 117°19′05″W / 34.30389°N 117.31806°W / 34.30389; -117.31806
Type Reservoir
Primary inflows California Aqueduct and West Fork Mojave River, East Fork of West Fork Mojave River and Sawpit Canyon Creek
Primary outflows West Fork Mojave River
Basin countries United States
Water volume 73,000 acre feet (90,000,000 m3)
Surface elevation 1,023 m

Silverwood Lake is a large reservoir in San Bernardino County, California, United States, located on the West Fork Mojave River, a tributary of the Mojave River in the San Bernardino Mountains. It was created in 1971 by the construction of the Cedar Springs Dam as a forebay on the 444-mile (715 km) long California Aqueduct (consequently inundating the former town of Cedar Springs ), and has a capacity of 73,000 acre feet (90,000,000 m3).[1]

Specifications

Silverwood Lake is located on the East Branch of the California Aqueduct. It is operated by the California Department of Water Resources and provides a major water source for agencies serving nearby San Bernardino Mountain and Mojave Desert areas. Some 2,400 acres (9.7 km2) of recreation land surround the lake.[2]

At an elevation of 3,355 feet (1,023 m), Silverwood Lake is the highest reservoir in the State Water Project.

Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

Sunrise through the smoke of the Pilot Fire in Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

The Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area is one of many California State Parks features picnicking, hiking trails, swimming beaches, and designated areas for boating, water-skiing and fishing.[3]

The Pacific Crest Trail, "the jewel in the crown of America's scenic trails" spanning 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada through three western states, passes through the Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area, with trailheads for short or long hikes.[4]

A 2009 California Water Board study found significantly elevated levels of toxic poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBS) and mercury levels in largemouth bass at Silverwood Reservoir.[5] [6] [7]

This has prompted local media to express concerns over the large number of anglers keeping and eating fish from this popular Inland Empire lake.[7][8] [9] [10]

See also

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/14/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.