Clear Lake Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Clear Lake Reservoir is a reservoir
in northwestern Modoc County, California
in the Modoc National Forest
about 40 mi (64 km) northwest of Alturas
. It is formed by Clear Lake Dam on the Lost River
and has a capacity of 527000 acre.ft. The reservoir is not be confused with Clear Lake, a large natural lake on Cache Creek
in Lake County, California
.
The original dam
was constructed of rockfill and was completed in 1910. It was 42 feet (13 m) tall from the bottom of the foundation to the crest, 32 ft (10 m) if measured from the crest to the original stream bed. It was replaced with a concrete
dam near the old dam in 2002. The old dam had deteriorated and the water level was kept low to prevent it from failing. Its crest is at the same height as the old dam and the reservoir's capacity is about the same. There is a small hydroelectric
plant at the dam with a capacity of 3 MW. The dam is owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation
. It was built to reduce flows into the reclaimed wetlands of Tule Lake
. It also reduces flows into Tule Lake Sumps in the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
. The reservoir created by the dam has a very large surface area, 25,760 acres (104.2 km²), and its average depth at maximum capacity is only about 20 feet (6 m), so it has a very high rate of evaporation
. In 1998, 74500 acre.ft of water from the reservoir evaporated, more than any other lake in the state besides Shasta Lake
, which has over 8 times the volume. Because of this, Clear Lake Reservoir is not an efficient water storage reservoir. This is a problem since the dam now provides water for irrigation
of the eastern half of the Klamath Basin
. The reservoir is in Modoc National Forest
and Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
, so recreation opportunities are limited.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in northwestern Modoc County, California
Modoc County, California
Modoc County is a county located in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California, bounded by the state of Oregon to the north and the state of Nevada to the east. As of the 2010 census, its population was 9,686, up from 9,449 at the 2000 census. The current county seat is Alturas, the...
in the Modoc National Forest
Modoc National Forest
Modoc National Forest is a national forest in northeastern California, covering parts of Modoc , Lassen , and Siskiyou counties. Most of the forest was covered by an immense lava flow millions of years ago. The eastern part of the forest east of Alturas contains a spur of the Cascade Range to...
about 40 mi (64 km) northwest of Alturas
Alturas, California
Alturas is the county seat of Modoc County, California, United States. Alturas is located on the Pit River, east of the center of Modoc County, at an elevation of 4370 feet...
. It is formed by Clear Lake Dam on the Lost River
Lost River (California)
Lost River begins and ends in a closed basin in northern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. The river, long, flows in an arc from Clear Lake Reservoir in Modoc County, California, through Klamath County, Oregon to Tule Lake in Siskiyou County...
and has a capacity of 527000 acre.ft. The reservoir is not be confused with Clear Lake, a large natural lake on Cache Creek
Cache Creek (Yolo County, California)
Cache Creek is an stream in Lake County, California, Colusa County, California and Yolo County, California. The South Fork begins at Clear Lake in Lake County, roughly parallels State Route 20, and turns south at the junction with State Route 16 in Colusa County...
in Lake County, California
Lake County, California
Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. It takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic feature in the county and the largest natural lake wholly within California...
.
The original dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
was constructed of rockfill and was completed in 1910. It was 42 feet (13 m) tall from the bottom of the foundation to the crest, 32 ft (10 m) if measured from the crest to the original stream bed. It was replaced with a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
dam near the old dam in 2002. The old dam had deteriorated and the water level was kept low to prevent it from failing. Its crest is at the same height as the old dam and the reservoir's capacity is about the same. There is a small hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
plant at the dam with a capacity of 3 MW. The dam is owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The United States Bureau of Reclamation , and formerly the United States Reclamation Service , is an agency under the U.S...
. It was built to reduce flows into the reclaimed wetlands of Tule Lake
Tule Lake
Tule Lake is an intermittent lake covering an area of , long and across, in northeastern Siskiyou County and northwestern Modoc County in California, along the border with Oregon.-Geography:Tule Lake is fed by the Lost River...
. It also reduces flows into Tule Lake Sumps in the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
The Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service located in the Klamath Basin in northern California near the Oregon border south of Klamath Falls, Oregon....
. The reservoir created by the dam has a very large surface area, 25,760 acres (104.2 km²), and its average depth at maximum capacity is only about 20 feet (6 m), so it has a very high rate of evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
. In 1998, 74500 acre.ft of water from the reservoir evaporated, more than any other lake in the state besides Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake
Shasta Lake, also called Lake Shasta, is an artificial lake created by the construction of Shasta Dam across the Sacramento River in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest of Shasta County, California...
, which has over 8 times the volume. Because of this, Clear Lake Reservoir is not an efficient water storage reservoir. This is a problem since the dam now provides water for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
of the eastern half of the Klamath Basin
Klamath Basin
The Klamath Basin is the region in the U.S. states of Oregon and California drained by the Klamath River. It contains most of Klamath County and parts of Lake and Jackson counties in Oregon, and parts of Del Norte, Humboldt, Modoc, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties in California. The drainage basin...
. The reservoir is in Modoc National Forest
Modoc National Forest
Modoc National Forest is a national forest in northeastern California, covering parts of Modoc , Lassen , and Siskiyou counties. Most of the forest was covered by an immense lava flow millions of years ago. The eastern part of the forest east of Alturas contains a spur of the Cascade Range to...
and Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern California consists of approximately of open water surrounded by over of upland bunchgrass, low sagebrush, and juniper habitat...
, so recreation opportunities are limited.