Lake Hodges is a lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 and reservoir

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...

 located in Southern California

Southern California

Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

, about 31 miles (49.9 km) north of San Diego and just south of Escondido, California

Escondido, California

Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...

. When full, the reservoir has 1234 acres (5 km²), a maximum water depth of 115 feet (35.1 m), and 27 miles (43.5 km) of shoreline. Interstate 15

Interstate 15

Interstate 15 is the fourth-longest north–south Interstate Highway in the United States, traveling through the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana from San Diego to the Canadian border...

 crosses Lake Hodges via the Lake Hodges Bridge

Lake Hodges Bridge

The Lake Hodges Bridge is a component of Interstate 15 that spans Lake Hodges, just south of Escondido, California. Lake Hodges Bridge is an important part of San Diego's North-South transportation axis....

. Approximately 1000 feet (304.8 m) west of the I-15 freeway bridge is a bicycle/pedestrian bridge which opened on May 15, 2009 and is the longest stressed ribbon bridge

Stressed ribbon bridge

A stressed ribbon bridge is a tension structure . The suspension cables are embedded in the deck which follows a catenary arc between supports. Unlike the simple span the ribbon is stressed in compression, which adds to the stiffness of the structure...

 in the world.
Lake Hodges is owned by the city of San Diego, and supplies water to the San Dieguito Water District and Santa Fe Irrigation District.

Lake Hodges Dam

Lake Hodges Dam is a multiple-arch dam that sits on the San Dieguito River. It was commissioned by the Volcan Water Company and designed by John S. Eastwood. It was completed in 1918, and later purchased by the city of San Diego. Water from the Lake Hodges Reservoir services the customers of the Santa Fe Irrigation District and the San Dieguito Water District.

Recent events

In 2005, the San Diego County Water Authority, in conjunction with the City of San Diego, began work on a pipeline to connect Hodges Reservoir with Olivenhain Reservoir. The connection will provide the ability to store 20000 acre.ft of water at Hodges Reservoir for emergency use. The project is expected to be completed in late 2010.

In 2009 and 2010, one woman was assaulted in the park and another was killed near the lake, and John Albert Gardner

John Albert Gardner

John Albert Gardner III is an American convicted double murderer and sex offender. He confessed to the rape and murder of 14-year-old Amber Dubois from Escondido, California, the February 2010 rape and murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King from Poway, California, not far from Gardner's mother's home,...

confessed to and was convicted of both crimes.

External links

• Lake Hodges News
• Hodgee, the Lake Hodges Monster, Lake Hodges Scientific Research Center
• Hodges Reservoir - City of San Diego
• Lake Hodges Projects, via SDCWA.org