Lake Cuyamaca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Cuyamaca |
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Lake Cuyamaca, seen from Stonewall Peak
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 Lake Cuyamaca
Location in San Diego County, California
Lake Cuyamaca
Location in California
Lake Cuyamaca
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cuyamaca Mountains, San Diego County, California |
| Coordinates | 32°59′11″N 116°34′50″W / 32.98639°N 116.58056°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Built | 1888 |
| Surface area | 110 acres (45 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 4,613 feet (1,406 m) |
Lake Cuyamaca, also called Cuyamaca Lake, or Cuyamaca Reservoir, is a 110 acres (45 ha) reservoir and a recreation area in the eastern Cuyamaca Mountains, located in eastern San Diego County, California.
Geography
California State Route 79 wraps around three shores, and provides access to/from Julian to the north and I−8 to the south.
Cuyamaca Reservoir is 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the Paso Picacho Campground and its trailheads in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
Recreation
Lake Cuyamaca is a recreation area operated by the Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and Park District and the Helix Water District. It offers boating, fishing, picnicking, birdwatching, hiking, wedding and party venues, cabin rentals and camping. A store, restaurant, pub, and tackle shop are onsite, as well as boat rentals.
The reservoir is stocked with over 38,000 lbs. of trout annually, and is the only San Diego lake that is able to stock trout all year long. Other species of fish include Florida bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill and sturgeon.
Conical Middle Peak is above the area on the east, and North Peak on the north. Hiking trails reach the summit of Cuyamaca Peak, located to the southwest of Lake Cuyamaca and in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
History
The dam at Cuyamaca is the second oldest in California still in use, and was completed in 1888. It was built to supply drinking water to the city of San Diego. It was originally piped down to San Diego in wooden flumes. It continues to be part of the municipal water supply system for San Diego.
In the mid 1960s the Lake Cuyamaca Recreation and Park District was formed. Through various projects over time, it has created a more permanent water supply infrastructure and new recreation features at the reservoir.
