Lake Natoma is an intermediate 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,...

 in between Nimbus Dam

Nimbus Dam

The Nimbus Dam is a base load hydroelectric dam on the American River near Folsom, California. Approximately of water is retained by the dam.- External links :* fact sheet - United States Bureau of Reclamation* - parks.ca.gov...

 and Folsom Dam

Folsom Dam

Folsom Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the American River in Northern California, about northeast of Sacramento. Folsom Dam is high concrete and long, flanked by earthen wing dams...

.

It is a recreational lake for rowing, kayaking

Kayaking

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...

, and swimming. Powerboats are permitted with a 5 mph no wake restriction. Lake Natoma is also home to the Sacramento State Aquatic Center, and regularly hosts West Coast College Rowing Championships. The Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon

Half marathon

A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...

 circles the lake and is held annually in October.

Lake Natoma is currently over the historic Negro Bar area in Folsom

Folsom, California

Folsom is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. Folsom is most commonly known for its famous Folsom Prison. The population was 72,203 at the 2010 census....

, originally an African-American gold mining

Gold mining

Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...

camp.

Further reading

• Saiki, M.K. (2004). Summary of total mercury concentrations in fillets of selected sport fishes collected during 2000-2003 from Lake Natoma, Sacramento County, California [Data Series 103]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.