Sherwood Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Sherwood Dam |
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Lake Sherwood Dam in 1907. Photograph by John Sparhawk Appleton.
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 Location of Lake Sherwood Dam in California
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Ventura County, California |
| Coordinates | 34°08′21″N 118°51′26″W / 34.13917°N 118.85722°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction cost | $2,000 (1904) |
| Owner(s) | Lake Sherwood Association |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Arch, constant-radius |
| Impounds | Mishe Mokwa Creek, Potrero Valley Creek |
| Height | 45 ft (14 m) |
| Length | 270 ft (82 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Sherwood |
| Total capacity | 2,600 acre⋅ft (3,200,000 m3) |
The Sherwood Dam is a concrete arch dam located in the Santa Monica Mountains near Thousand Oaks, California. It is also known as Lake Sherwood Dam, Alturas Dam, and Potrero Dam. This dam is about 270-foot-long (82 m).
The dam was finished in 1904. Its building led to the creation of Potrero Lake, which is now called Lake Sherwood. This lake covers about 165-acre (67 ha). It was the first large reservoir (a place where water is stored) in the area. It is still one of the oldest dams standing in California today.
Building the Dam
The construction of the dam was led by W. H. Matthiessen. He was a rancher who owned a lot of land, including what is now Hidden Valley, Lake Sherwood, and Thousand Oaks.
The dam was first called the Alturas Dam. It was built to hold water from four main streams. These streams flowed into a large area called a "catchment basin," which is like a big bowl that collects rainwater.
That winter, Potrero Lake was formed. Its sudden appearance attracted many photographers and filmmakers to its new shores.
Hollywood Connection
The new lake also inspired engineers like William Mulholland. He started planning the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1905, which is a huge system to bring water to Los Angeles.
In 1921, Matthiessen's son, Christy, allowed actor Douglas Fairbanks to film his movie Robin Hood around the lake. Because of this, the ranch became known as "Sherwood Forest". Potrero Lake then became known as Lake Sherwood.
Later, in 1938, it is believed that a scene from the Warner Brothers movie The Adventures of Robin Hood was also filmed there. The area's natural beauty continued to appear in movies during the "Golden Era of Hollywood."
Developing the Community
In 1923, much of Matthiessen's Ranch, including the dam and lake, was given to his son's ex-wife, Elsie Canterbury. That same year, Elsie and her new husband divided the land southwest of Lake Sherwood into 2,500 smaller pieces. This became the community of Lake Sherwood.
Their idea was to create a special place for wealthy people from the 1920s. This included a country club, access to the lake, and paths for horseback riding.
After Elsie Canterbury passed away in 1967, the area around the lake began to be developed into private homes. Today, Lake Sherwood is a beautiful, private community with a world-famous golf course.
Dam Safety and Upgrades
In 1984, there were worries about the dam's safety. So, Lake Sherwood was drained so that the dam could be checked. This caused some problems for people who liked to go boating on the lake.
The dam was then made stronger to fix some safety issues that had not been seen before. Even after these improvements in the 1980s, the Sherwood Dam can still be affected by very large floods and strong earthquakes.
