Lake Poway Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Poway
Lake Poway in 2009
Location of Lake Poway in California
Location	Poway, California, US
Coordinates	33°00′25″N 117°00′36″W / 33.00694°N 117.01000°W / 33.00694; -117.01000
Status	In use
Construction began	1970
Opening date	1972
Owner(s)	City of Poway
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Earthen dam
Height	165 ft (50 m)
Dam volume	1,300,000 m³ (46,000,000 cu ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity	3,800 acre⋅ft (4,700,000 m³)
Surface area	35 acres (14 ha)
Website poway.org/401/Lake-Poway

Lake Poway is a cool spot in Poway, California, USA. It's a dam and a lake built by the City of Poway between 1970 and 1972. Its main jobs are to store water for the city and offer fun outdoor activities for everyone. People voted a few times on how to pay for it. After some tries, a plan to raise $3.2 million was approved in 1969.

Building Lake Poway
About the Dam and Lake
Fun at Lake Poway
- Hiking Trails
- Fishing Fun
Gallery
See also

Building Lake Poway

In 1962, a report showed that Poway needed more water storage. This was important in case the main water pipe from the Colorado River broke. So, people suggested building an earthen dam in Warren Canyon. This dam would create a lake to store water.

Voting for the Dam

To pay for the dam, the city needed to get money through a special vote. The idea was put to a vote in March 1964. Most people liked the idea, but it didn't get enough votes to pass. They tried again in June 1966, but it still didn't pass. Finally, in June 1969, the plan for $3.2 million was approved by 87 percent of voters!

Construction and Opening

Work on the dam began in December 1970. Water started filling the lake in late 1971. The areas for fun activities were built in 1972. Lake Poway officially opened to the public in October 1972.

Recent Events

In 2017, there were very heavy rains. The lake's water level got close to the top of the dam. But the dam held strong and did not overflow.

In 2019, Poway had a water quality issue. A storm pipe leaked dirty water into a reservoir near Lake Poway. This made the drinking water cloudy. As a safety step, people were told to boil their water. Restaurants and businesses had to close for a week. After the problem was fixed, tests showed the drinking water was safe again.

About the Dam and Lake

Lake Poway in June 2020

The dam at Lake Poway is an earth-filled dam. It stands about 165 feet (50 meters) tall. The lake itself covers an area of 35 acres (14 hectares). It can hold about 3,800 acre-feet (4.7 million cubic meters) of water.

The spillway is a concrete section on the east side of the dam. It is 100 feet (30 meters) wide. A spillway helps release extra water safely if the lake gets too full.

Fun at Lake Poway

Lake Poway is a popular spot for outdoor activities. The park next to the lake has many picnic areas. There are also playgrounds and sports fields for everyone to enjoy.

In 2017, a special statue was put up at Lake Poway. It honors Tony Gwynn, a famous baseball player. He lived in Poway for a long time. The bronze statue was made by Seth Vandable.

Hiking Trails

The lake has a 2.75-mile loop trail that goes all the way around it. This trail connects to other paths too. You can hike to Lake Ramona through the Blue Sky Ecological Reserve. There's also a harder trail to the top of Mount Woodson. This is where you can find the famous Potato Chip Rock.

The trails go through different types of nature. You'll see sage scrub, chaparral, and oak woodland. You might also spot plants like Arroyo Lupine and Wild Canterbury bells near the lake.

Fishing Fun

You can fish at Lake Poway all year round! The lake has trout, bass, catfish, sunfish, and bluegill. In the winter, the lake is stocked with rainbow trout. In warmer months, you can catch bass, catfish, and bluegill. Lake Poway has also hosted a youth fishing derby for over 25 years.

Here are some of the biggest fish caught at Lake Poway: