Trinity Lake
| Trinity Lake | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Trinity County, California |
| Coordinates | 40°49′21″N 122°45′54″W / 40.82250°N 122.76500°WCoordinates: 40°49′21″N 122°45′54″W / 40.82250°N 122.76500°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Trinity River |
| Primary outflows | Trinity River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Water volume | 2,447,650 acre·ft (3,019,130 dam3) |
| Surface elevation | 2,387 ft (728 m) |
Trinity Lake, previously called Clair Engle Lake, is an artificial lake on the Trinity River formed by the Trinity Dam and located in Trinity County, California. The dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake's capacity is 2,447,650 acre·ft (3,019,130 dam3), making it one of the largest reservoirs in California. The lake's surface is at 2,370 ft (720 m) above MSL. Trinity Lake captures and stores water for the Central Valley Project, which provides the Central Valley with water for irrigation and produces hydroelectric power. This lake is known for its many small arms, glassy inlets, and great water-skiing conditions.
After the death in office of California United States Senator Clair Engle in 1964, the lake was renamed after him; however, the name change never received wide popularity, especially with locals, and the name was eventually returned to its frequently known original name.
The lake is serviced by three marinas: Trinity Alps Marina located on the southern end in view of the Dam; Cedar Stock marina on the Stuart Fork arm on the west end of the lake; and Trinity Center marina at the northern end of the main arm of the lake. Most of the marinas rent houseboats to vacationers year round. Most marinas on the lake are now owned and operated by Forever Resorts, with the only exception being the Trinity Alps Marina.
Trinity Lake is located northwest of Redding, California, off of Highway 299 north of the Gold Rush mining town of Weaverville. The Alpine scenery surrounding the lake makes up the Trinity Alps. The Alps were formed in the late Jurassic Period by volcanic activity in the form of ultramafic and granitic plutons (igneous rock formed from super-heated magma cooling under the surface of the earth), and tectonic activity (the super continent of Pangaea was beginning to pull apart into two separate super-sized continents) and glaciation during frigid climate periods known as ice ages (land surface modified by action of glaciers). The last remaining glaciers are on Thompson’s peak, at more than 9,000 feet. The lake bed was originally a series of deep valleys in the Alps.
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