Lake Pillsbury
Encyclopedia
Lake Pillsbury is an artificial lake in the Mendocino National Forest
of Lake County, California
, created from the waters impounded from the Eel River
by Scott Dam. Elevation is 1818 ft (554.1 m) with 65 mi (104.6 km) of shoreline and covering 2003 acre (810.6 ha). Activities in the Lake Pillsbury Recreation Area include powerboating, fishing, swimming, sailing, picnicking, hiking and hang gliding. There are two main access roads to the lake. At the north end of the lake is a small gravel airstrip.
Later that year, the Snow Mountain Water and Power Company incorporated and took over the project from Van Arsdale's company. By 1908 water was being diverted to the power plant and then to the Russian River. Part two of the project was building the dam which created Lake Pillsbury, located 12 miles (19.3 km) upstream. It was completed in 1922 and maintains water flow to the hydroelectric plant during times of low water runoff. Pacific Gas and Electric Company
acquired the project in 1933, and maintains the facilities today. The lake is named for one of the founders of Snow Mountain Water and Power Company. The Pillsbury hydroelectric plant is the only one in the north coast region of California.
The Eel River Project is now known as the Potter Valley Project.
There are five campgrounds, two group campgrounds, two paved boat ramps and a resort at the lake. The Lake Pillsbury Resort operates a marina
with rentals, boat slips and supplies.
All types of boating are allowed including boat camping.
California Department of Fish and Game
stock the lake with trout
annually. Other fish include black bass
, steelhead, and pikeminnow.
Hiking trails at the lake include an interpretive nature trail at Sunset Campground and the four mile (6 km) Lake Shore Loop Trail. Other nearby recreational opportunities include the Snow Mountain Wilderness
located east of Lake Pillsbury, and along the Rice Fork
of the Eel River, is Crabtree Hot Springs
. The Bloody Rock historic area is located within the wildlife refuge north of the lake as well as the Eel River and the Wild and Scenic
Black Butte River.
is one of the largest land mammals native to California, with cows weighing up to 350 pounds, and the largest bulls weighing roughly 500 pounds. Hunted to near extinction during the states's Gold Rush
era, the animals were reintroduced to the Lake Pillsbury Basin in the late 1970s by the California Department of Fish & Game, and the herd has steadily grown, numbering around 80 in 2007.
The elk live on the north shore of the lake at the bottom of Hull Mountain, and enjoy wild clovers and grasses, along with the green summer and fall foilage around Lake Pillsbury's edges. Mendocino National Forest and Los Padres National Forest
are the only two national forests in California to have tule elk. There is a 10 day hunting season beginning on the second Wednesday in September each year.
Mendocino National Forest
The Mendocino National Forest is located in the Coastal Mountain Range in northwestern California and comprises 913,306 acres...
of 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...
, created from the waters impounded from the Eel River
Eel River (California)
The Eel River is a major river system of the northern Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California. Approximately 200 miles long, it drains a rugged area in the California Coast Ranges between the Sacramento Valley and the ocean. For most of its course, the river flows northwest, parallel to the...
by Scott Dam. Elevation is 1818 ft (554.1 m) with 65 mi (104.6 km) of shoreline and covering 2003 acre (810.6 ha). Activities in the Lake Pillsbury Recreation Area include powerboating, fishing, swimming, sailing, picnicking, hiking and hang gliding. There are two main access roads to the lake. At the north end of the lake is a small gravel airstrip.
History
In 1906, W.W. Van Arsdale formed the Eel River Power and Irrigation Company and contracted with the city of Ukiah for a hydroelectric generating station to increase electricity supply for the city. A diversion dam was built on the Eel River and a mile-long tunnel was constructed to divert water into the Russian River. A powerhouse was constructed in Potter Valley. It was called the Eel River Project.Later that year, the Snow Mountain Water and Power Company incorporated and took over the project from Van Arsdale's company. By 1908 water was being diverted to the power plant and then to the Russian River. Part two of the project was building the dam which created Lake Pillsbury, located 12 miles (19.3 km) upstream. It was completed in 1922 and maintains water flow to the hydroelectric plant during times of low water runoff. Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company , commonly known as PG&E, is the utility that provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California, from Bakersfield almost to the Oregon border...
acquired the project in 1933, and maintains the facilities today. The lake is named for one of the founders of Snow Mountain Water and Power Company. The Pillsbury hydroelectric plant is the only one in the north coast region of California.
The Eel River Project is now known as the Potter Valley Project.
Recreation
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
with rentals, boat slips and supplies.
All types of boating are allowed including boat camping.
California Department of Fish and Game
California Department of Fish and Game
The California Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of California, falling under its parent California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Game manages and protects the state's diverse fish, wildlife, plant resources, and native habitats...
stock the lake with trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
annually. Other fish include black bass
Black bass
Micropterus , is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is M. dolomieu, the smallmouth bass...
, steelhead, and pikeminnow.
Hiking trails at the lake include an interpretive nature trail at Sunset Campground and the four mile (6 km) Lake Shore Loop Trail. Other nearby recreational opportunities include the Snow Mountain Wilderness
Snow Mountain Wilderness
The Snow Mountain Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area located north of Santa Rosa, California, USA in the Mendocino National Forest. The U.S. Congress passed the California Wilderness Act of 1984 which created 23 new wilderness areas including Snow Mountain. It lies within the...
located east of Lake Pillsbury, and along the Rice Fork
Rice Fork
The Rice Fork is a tributary of the Eel River in Lake County, California. The Rice Fork begins on the upper northwest side of Goat Mountain, on the Colusa-Lake County line, at an elevation of over...
of the Eel River, is Crabtree Hot Springs
Crabtree Hot Springs, California
Crabtree Hot Springs is an unincorporated community and geological phenomenon in Lake County, California about north of Upper Lake. It lies at an elevation of 2,257 feet...
. The Bloody Rock historic area is located within the wildlife refuge north of the lake as well as the Eel River and the Wild and Scenic
National Wild and Scenic River
National Wild and Scenic River is a designation for certain protected areas in the United States.The National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was an outgrowth of the recommendations of a Presidential commission, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission...
Black Butte River.
Wildlife
The Tule ElkTule Elk
The tule elk is a subspecies of elk found only in California, ranging from the grasslands and marshlands of the Central Valley to the grassy hills on the coast. The subspecies name derives from the tule that it feeds off of, which grows in the marshlands...
is one of the largest land mammals native to California, with cows weighing up to 350 pounds, and the largest bulls weighing roughly 500 pounds. Hunted to near extinction during the states's Gold Rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
era, the animals were reintroduced to the Lake Pillsbury Basin in the late 1970s by the California Department of Fish & Game, and the herd has steadily grown, numbering around 80 in 2007.
The elk live on the north shore of the lake at the bottom of Hull Mountain, and enjoy wild clovers and grasses, along with the green summer and fall foilage around Lake Pillsbury's edges. Mendocino National Forest and Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest
Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland...
are the only two national forests in California to have tule elk. There is a 10 day hunting season beginning on the second Wednesday in September each year.