Peña Blanca Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peña Blanca Lake |
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 Peña Blanca Lake
Location in Arizona
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| Location | Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States |
| Coordinates | 31°24′1″N 111°5′16″W / 31.40028°N 111.08778°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Peña Blanca Wash |
| Primary outflows | Peña Blanca Wash |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 45 acres (18 ha) |
| Max. depth | 65 ft (20 m) |
| Surface elevation | 3,819 ft (1,164 m) |
Peña Blanca Lake is a beautiful reservoir located in Arizona, in the southwestern part of the United States. It's about 18 miles (29 km) northwest of a town called Nogales. The Forest Service, which is part of the USDA, helps take care of the lake.
This lake was created in 1957 by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. It was built to hold water and provide a place for people to enjoy nature. For a while, there was even a fancy resort near the lake!
In 2008, the lake had to be closed for a time. This was to clean up some mercury that was found in the lake's bottom. Scientists thought the mercury might have come from old mines in the area. The old resort was also removed during this time. The lake reopened in August 2009. Later, in 2013, a report showed that the mercury levels were still similar to before the cleanup. Scientists are still studying if this mercury might be naturally occurring, perhaps seeping from the ground.
What Fish Live in Peña Blanca Lake?
Peña Blanca Lake is a great spot for fishing! Before the lake was drained for cleaning, it had many different kinds of fish. These included largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, green sunfish, black crappie, channel catfish, and black bullhead. They also used to add rainbow trout to the lake.
Today, you can find several fish species in the lake. These include channel catfish, yellow bullhead, largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, and redear sunfish. If you visit between October and March, you might also catch rainbow trout. These trout are added to the lake about once a month, as long as the water quality is good. You might even spot some crayfish in the lake too!
