Camanche Reservoir

Camanche Reservoir
Camanche Reservoir as viewed from a passing airliner
Location	Amador, Calaveras and San Joaquin counties
Coordinates	38°13′25″N 121°00′00″W / 38.22361°N 121.00000°W / 38.22361; -121.00000Coordinates: 38°13′25″N 121°00′00″W / 38.22361°N 121.00000°W / 38.22361; -121.00000
Type	reservoir
Primary outflows	Mokelumne River
Catchment area	619 square miles (1,600 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	5 miles (8.0 km)
Max. width	3 miles (4.8 km)
Surface area	7,700 acres (3,100 ha)
Water volume	417,120 acre feet (514,510,000 m3)
Shore length1	53 miles (85 km)
Surface elevation	135 ft (41 m)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Camanche Reservoir is an artificial lake in the San Joaquin Valley in California in the United States, at the juncture of Amador, Calaveras, and San Joaquin counties. Its waters are impounded by Camanche Dam, which was completed in 1963. Camanche Reservoir is a source of water for industrial and municipal purposes and also provides flood control.

The lake was named after the former town of Camanche that now lies beneath its waters. The lake has also been called Camanche Lake and Lake Camanche. Camanche Reservoir has recreation areas throughout the lake, which are mainly located on the North and South shores.

Camanche Reservoir North Shore is located in Amador County. It contains a population of approximately 1,000 people. The North Shore hosts some of the recreation features of Camanche Reservoir, including close to 800 campsites. The North Shore also allows RV camping as well as tent camping. There is a North Shore Marina Store located here including a small café.

Camanche Reservoir South Shore also hosts a large portion of Lake Camanche’s recreation features and amenities. The South Shore includes a store located in the middle of the recreation area. It also contains the amphitheater where numerous events are held.

The lake is fed by the headwaters of the Mokelumne River, including tributaries such as Rabbit Creek and Camanche Creek. The Camanche Reservoir is fed primarily from the Mokelumne River. The water entering Camanche Reservoir is influenced by the amount of water released from the Pardee Dam. Camanche reservoir typically fills to capacity prior to summer months. This occurs from the melting of snowpack during the months of May–July (meltflow season) which increase the amount of water flowing through the Mokelumne River. During summer months, Camanche Reservoir releases water continuously. This allows for constant reliable downstream irrigation.