Lake Henshaw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Henshaw |
|
---|---|
![]() Lake Henshaw from Mesa Grande Road
|
|
Location | San Diego County, California |
Coordinates | 33°14′30″N 116°45′47″W / 33.241706°N 116.763078°W |
Type | reservoir |
Catchment area | 217 square miles (560 km2) |
Basin countries | United States |
Surface area | 1,140 acres (460 ha) |
Water volume | 55,000 acre-feet (68,000,000 m3) |
Shore length1 | 5 miles (8.0 km) |
Surface elevation | 2,723 feet (830 m) |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Lake Henshaw is a large reservoir (a man-made lake) located in San Diego County, California. You can find it at the base of Palomar Mountain. It is about 70 miles northeast of San Diego and 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles. This lake is a popular spot for outdoor activities.
Discover Lake Henshaw: A Fun Reservoir
Lake Henshaw is a big lake that covers about 1,140 acres. When it is completely full, it can hold 55,000 acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land with water one foot deep. The lake also stores water underground in its local area. It collects water from a large area of 207 square miles. This water then flows into the San Luis Rey River.
How Lake Henshaw Was Built
Lake Henshaw was created in 1923. This happened when the Henshaw Dam was built. The dam is made of earth and stands 123 feet tall. It is also 650 feet long. The Vista Irrigation District owns the lake. They use its water mainly to help farmers water their crops.
Fun Things to Do at Lake Henshaw
Lake Henshaw offers many fun things to do. It is a great place for fishing. You can try to catch both catfish and carp here. If you want to go out on the water, you can rent boats from the nearby general store.
There are also cabins available to rent if you want to stay overnight. You can grab a meal at the restaurant by the lake. Every year, a special fly fishing competition called "The Carp Throwdown" is held here. Many motorcycle groups also enjoy riding their bikes in the area on weekend trips.