Lake Elsman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Elsman |
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 Lake Elsman
Location in California
Lake Elsman
Location in the United States
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| Location | Santa Clara County, California |
| Coordinates | 37°7′48″N 121°55′51″W / 37.13000°N 121.93083°W |
| Type | Earth |
| Primary outflows | Los Gatos Creek |
| Catchment area | 9.8 square miles (25 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Managing agency | San Jose Water Agency |
| Built | 1950 |
| Surface area | 96 acres (39 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 1,119 feet (341 m) |
Lake Elsman is a large reservoir in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. It was created by building an earthen dam called Austrian Dam across Los Gatos Creek.
This lake holds about 6,200 acre-feet of water. That's a huge amount! It helps provide 12% of the total water for the San Jose Water Company in some years. The lake can be over 140 feet deep in places. Its normal surface area is about 96 acres. The San Jose Water Company owns both the lake and the dam.
Earthquakes and Lake Elsman
In 1988 and 1989, two medium-sized earthquakes happened near Lake Elsman. These quakes measured about 5.3 and 5.4 on the Richter magnitude scale. Scientists believe these smaller earthquakes caused stress to build up in the ground. This stress then led to the much larger 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. That big earthquake measured 6.9 on the scale.
Austrian Dam
The Austrian Dam is the structure that created Lake Elsman. It is an earthen dam, meaning it's built mostly from compacted earth and rock.
Building the Dam
Construction of the Austrian Dam finished in 1950. Before the dam was built, there were small settlements in the valley. These towns were called Austrian Gulch and Germantown. When the lake filled up, these old settlements were covered by water.
Dam Size and Strength
The dam is quite large. It is more than 900 feet long and about 180 feet high. During the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the dam was damaged. This event taught engineers important lessons. It showed them how the tops of earthen dams can be affected by strong earthquakes. This information helps them build safer dams in the future.
