Sherwood Dam
Encyclopedia
The Lake Sherwood Dam, known also as The Potrero Dam or simply Sherwood Dam, is a 270-foot long concrete arch dam
in Thousand Oaks, California
, completed in 1904. Its construction led to the creation of the 165-acre Potrero Lake (Lake Sherwood) over the following winter. As such, Lake Sherwood was the first man-made lake
of its size; the Sherwood Dam remains one of the oldest standing dams in California.
Construction was led by W. H. Matthiessen, a rancher who owned what is today Hidden Valley
, Lake Sherwood
, and Thousand Oaks. Originally called the Alturas Dam, it was built as a desperate means to contain the water from four main streams
draining into a sixteen-mile catchment basin. Potrero Lake was formed that winter, its sudden existence attracting local photographers and filmmakers alike to the exotic shores. The reservoir also directly inspired civil engineers
such as William Mulholland
, who began drawing up his Los Angeles Aqueduct
in 1905. The Malibou Lake Mountain Club built a similar dam nearby
not long after, as did May Knight Rindge
. Matthiessen's son Christy allowed Douglas Fairbanks
to shoot his masterpiece Robin Hood
around his lake in 1921. As a result, the ranch became better known as Sherwood Forest
; the lake since being known as Lake Sherwood
.
Much of Matthiessen's Ranch, including the dam, was granted to his son's ex-wife
, Elsie Canterbury, in 1923. That same year, the area southwest of Lake Sherwood was subdivided into 2,500 plots by Elsie and her new husband. "The idea was to offer a country club
setting, lake privileges, bridle paths and a clubhouse for the affluent people of the early 20s
. " However, construction of the estates
was halted by the stock market crash of 1929
, and Elsie Canterbury was forced to sell the land west of her lake to William Randolph Hearst
. Hearst profited much from the geographic beauty created by Sherwood Dam, specifically from the booming film industry
. For example, he allowed Warner Brothers
to film The Adventures of Robin Hood
on his picturesque landscape. It ended up being the highest-grossing film of 1938.
After Hearst's death in 1951, the lakeside began to be developed into private homes, though Elsie Canterbury stubbornly fought for her legal right to the entire lake until her death in 1975. Amidst safety concerns in 1984, Lake Sherwood was drained so that the dam could be inspected. To the chagrin of nearby boaters
, It was updated despite having no urgent safety problems.
Few residents of Thousand Oaks today recognize the origins of Lake Sherwood. Even after its reinforcement in the 1980s
, the dam remains susceptible to large floods
and high-magnitude earthquakes
.
Arch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes...
in Thousand Oaks, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, completed in 1904. Its construction led to the creation of the 165-acre Potrero Lake (Lake Sherwood) over the following winter. As such, Lake Sherwood was the first man-made lake
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...
of its size; the Sherwood Dam remains one of the oldest standing dams in California.
Construction was led by W. H. Matthiessen, a rancher who owned what is today Hidden Valley
Hidden Valley
-Places:Australia*Hidden Valley, Northern Territory, A suburb in Darwin**Hidden Valley Raceway, A motorsports complex located near Darwin*Hidden Valley National Park, Western AustraliaCanada*Hidden Valley, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Calgary, Alberta...
, Lake Sherwood
Lake Sherwood
Lake Sherwood may refer to some places in the United States:United States*Lake Sherwood, California, a gated community*Lake Sherwood, Wisconsin, a CDP*Lake Sherwood , a lake*Lake Sherwood , a lake in the Monongahela National Forest...
, and Thousand Oaks. Originally called the Alturas Dam, it was built as a desperate means to contain the water from four main streams
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
draining into a sixteen-mile catchment basin. Potrero Lake was formed that winter, its sudden existence attracting local photographers and filmmakers alike to the exotic shores. The reservoir also directly inspired civil engineers
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
such as William Mulholland
William Mulholland
William Mulholland was the head of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, in Los Angeles. He was responsible for building the water aqueducts and dams that allowed the city to grow into one of the largest in the world. His methods of obtaining water for the city led to disputes collectively...
, who began drawing up his Los Angeles Aqueduct
Los Angeles Aqueduct
The Los Angeles Aqueduct system comprising the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Second Los Angeles Aqueduct, is a water conveyance system operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power...
in 1905. The Malibou Lake Mountain Club built a similar dam nearby
Malibou Lake
Malibou Lake is a small, artificial lake in the Santa Monica Mountains, as well as a community, near Agoura Hills, California, USA. Located within Malibu Creek State Park, and almost completely surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, is situated between Malibu Beach and...
not long after, as did May Knight Rindge
Rindge Dam
The -tall Rindge Dam on Malibu Creek is located in Malibu Creek State Park, about three miles from the coast of Malibu, California. It is situated just northeast of Malibu Canyon Road, from which it is only partially visible...
. Matthiessen's son Christy allowed Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. was an American actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films such as The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro....
to shoot his masterpiece Robin Hood
Robin Hood (1922 film)
Robin Hood is the first motion picture ever to have a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. The movie's full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood, as shown in the illustration at right...
around his lake in 1921. As a result, the ranch became better known as Sherwood Forest
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
; the lake since being known as Lake Sherwood
Robin Hood in popular culture
The folkloric hero Robin Hood has appeared many times, in many different variations, in popular modern works.-Books:*Ivanhoe by Walter Scott, 1819.*Maid Marian by Thomas Love Peacock, 1822.*Robin Hood le proscrit by Alexandre Dumas, 1863....
.
Much of Matthiessen's Ranch, including the dam, was granted to his son's ex-wife
Division of property
Division of property, also known as equitable distribution, is a judicial division of property rights and obligations between spouses during divorce...
, Elsie Canterbury, in 1923. That same year, the area southwest of Lake Sherwood was subdivided into 2,500 plots by Elsie and her new husband. "The idea was to offer a country club
Sherwood Country Club
Sherwood Country Club is a private, member owned golf and country club set at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains in Thousand Oaks, California. Sherwood is home to a championship 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, driving range and Georgian architecture golf clubhouse...
setting, lake privileges, bridle paths and a clubhouse for the affluent people of the early 20s
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
. " However, construction of the estates
Private community
A private community is a residential community that can be an association or a proprietary organization. Associations can include condominiums, homeowner associations or cooperatives....
was halted by the stock market crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
, and Elsie Canterbury was forced to sell the land west of her lake to William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
. Hearst profited much from the geographic beauty created by Sherwood Dam, specifically from the booming film industry
Classical Hollywood cinema
Classical Hollywood cinema or the classical Hollywood narrative, are terms used in film history which designates both a visual and sound style for making motion pictures and a mode of production used in the American film industry between roughly the 1910s and the early 1960s.Classical style is...
. For example, he allowed Warner Brothers
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
to film The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. Filmed in Technicolor, the picture stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains.-Plot:...
on his picturesque landscape. It ended up being the highest-grossing film of 1938.
After Hearst's death in 1951, the lakeside began to be developed into private homes, though Elsie Canterbury stubbornly fought for her legal right to the entire lake until her death in 1975. Amidst safety concerns in 1984, Lake Sherwood was drained so that the dam could be inspected. To the chagrin of nearby boaters
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, It was updated despite having no urgent safety problems.
Few residents of Thousand Oaks today recognize the origins of Lake Sherwood. Even after its reinforcement in the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, the dam remains susceptible to large floods
100-year flood
A one-hundred-year flood is calculated to be the level of flood water expected to be equaled or exceeded every 100 years on average. The 100-year flood is more accurately referred to as the 1% annual exceedance probability flood, since it is a flood that has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded...
and high-magnitude earthquakes
Earthquake engineering
Earthquake engineering is the scientific field concerned with protecting society, the natural and the man-made environment from earthquakes by limiting the seismic risk to socio-economically acceptable levels...
.
See also
- Banning DamBanning Dam#The Banning Dam is a 122-year-old dam in Westlake Village, California. Built less than a mile east of Lake Sherwood , the structure is located within the Lake Eleanor Open Space...
- Rindge DamRindge DamThe -tall Rindge Dam on Malibu Creek is located in Malibu Creek State Park, about three miles from the coast of Malibu, California. It is situated just northeast of Malibu Canyon Road, from which it is only partially visible...
- Lake Sherwood, CaliforniaLake Sherwood, CaliforniaLake Sherwood is a unincorporated community and a census-designated place in the Santa Monica Mountains, in Ventura County, California overlooking the lake of the same name. It is south of the city of Thousand Oaks, and west of Westlake Village. The ZIP Code is 91361, and the community is inside...
- Malibou LakeMalibou LakeMalibou Lake is a small, artificial lake in the Santa Monica Mountains, as well as a community, near Agoura Hills, California, USA. Located within Malibu Creek State Park, and almost completely surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, is situated between Malibu Beach and...
- Robin Hood (1922 film)Robin Hood (1922 film)Robin Hood is the first motion picture ever to have a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. The movie's full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood, as shown in the illustration at right...
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. Filmed in Technicolor, the picture stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains.-Plot:...