Lake Cachuma
| Cachuma Lake | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location |
Los Padres National Forest Santa Barbara County, California |
| Coordinates | 34°35′12″N 119°58′52″W / 34.5866555°N 119.9809753°WCoordinates: 34°35′12″N 119°58′52″W / 34.5866555°N 119.9809753°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows |
California Aqueduct Santa Ynez River |
| Primary outflows | Santa Ynez River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 3,100 acres (1,300 ha) |
| Water volume | 205,000 acre·ft (253,000,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 753 ft (230 m) |
Cachuma Lake is an artificial lake located in the Santa Ynez Valley of central Santa Barbara County, California on the Santa Ynez River adjoining the north side of California State Route 154. The reservoir was created by the construction of Bradbury Dam, a 201 ft (61 m) earth-fill structure built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1953. Its surface area covers 3,100 acres (1,300 ha), with a maximum design capacity of 205,000 acre·ft (253,000,000 m3), but it is currently limited to 188,000 acre·ft (232,000,000 m3) due to sediment accumulation and as of April 5, 2017 it is at 50.5% capacity.
Built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1953, the name "Cachuma" comes from a Chumash village that the Spanish spelled "Aquitsumu", from the Barbareno Chumash word aqitsu'm, meaning "sign". Body contact activities such as swimming, wading, or water skiing in Lake Cachuma have been restricted since the park opened in the 1950s, reasoning that the lake was a reservoir people depend upon for drinking water. In May 2011, the no body contact regulation was revised to allow human-powered recreational watercraft such as kayaks and canoes on the lake as well as allow dogs on boats and eliminate "incidental body contact" with the water as a punishable offense.
A large campsite on the south shore of Cachuma Lake is administered by the Santa Barbara County Parks division of the Community Services Department.
The University of California, Santa Barbara rowing team regularly practices and races at Lake Cachuma and erected a permanent boathouse there just prior to the 1982-1983 school year. The lake is also a popular destination for viewing bald eagles from seasonal tour boats.
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Wikipedia