Lake McClure facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake McClure |
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 Lake McClure
Location in California
Lake McClure
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mariposa County, California |
| Coordinates | 37°38′33″N 120°16′57″W / 37.64250°N 120.28250°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Merced River |
| Primary outflows | Merced River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Water volume | 1,032,000 acre⋅ft (1.273×109 m3) |
Lake McClure is a large reservoir (a man-made lake) located in the Sierra Nevada foothills. You can find it in western Mariposa County, California.
This lake was created by the New Exchequer Dam. The dam holds back the waters of the Merced River, which is a branch of the San Joaquin River. Lake McClure is about 40 miles (64 km) east of the city of Modesto.
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has a special advisory about eating fish from Lake McClure. This advisory helps people know how much fish is safe to eat.
Contents
History of Lake McClure
Lake McClure was first formed when the original Exchequer Dam was built. This dam was made of concrete and was finished between 1924 and 1926. The first lake, called Exchequer Reservoir, could hold about 281,000 acre⋅ft (347,000,000 m3) of water.
In 1926, the lake's name was changed to Lake McClure. This was done to honor Wilbur Fiske McClure. He was a Head Engineer for the State of California. He helped plan and create the famous John Muir Trail in the Sierra Mountains.
The New Exchequer Dam
The New Exchequer Dam was built in 1967. This new dam made the lake much bigger, increasing its capacity to 1,032,000 acre⋅ft (1.273×109 m3) of water. It is a rock-fill dam with a strong concrete front.
The Merced Irrigation District owns this dam. They use the water to help farms in northern Merced County. The water travels through a huge network of canals, which are like man-made rivers, stretching about 800 miles (1200 km).
Making Electricity
At the bottom of the New Exchequer Dam, there is a hydroelectric power plant. This plant uses the force of the water to create electricity. It can produce 94.5 megawatts of power.
Fun at the Lake
Besides providing water for farms, Lake McClure is also a popular place for recreation and fun activities. People can enjoy many things here:
- Boating
- Water skiing
- Fishing
- Camping
There is even a full-service marina at the lake. This is a place where boats can be docked and repaired. Hang gliding is also very popular at Lake McClure. People say you can often fly here, sometimes up to 320 days a year!
Lake McSwain
About 6 miles (9.7 km) downstream (further along the river) from the New Exchequer Dam, you'll find McSwain Dam. This dam was built at the same time as the New Exchequer Dam. It creates a smaller lake called Lake McSwain.
Lake McSwain helps control the water released from Lake McClure. It can hold about 9,700 acre-feet (12,000,000 m3) of water. This is only about one percent of the size of Lake McClure. There is also a hydroelectric plant at McSwain Dam that produces 9 megawatts of power.
Just like Lake McClure, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has a safe eating advisory for fish caught in Lake McSwain.
Future Plans for the Dam
The Merced Irrigation District is looking into ways to make New Exchequer Dam even better. They are thinking about adding movable gates to the emergency spillway. This could help the lake store almost 60,000 more acre-feet of water. This change would not harm the special Wild and Scenic Merced River.
