Trinity Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trinity Lake |
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 Trinity Lake
Location in California
Trinity Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Trinity County, California |
| Coordinates | 40°49′21″N 122°45′54″W / 40.82250°N 122.76500°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Trinity River |
| Primary outflows | Trinity River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Water volume | 2,447,650 acre⋅ft (3,019.13 GL) |
| Surface elevation | 2,387 ft (728 m) |
Trinity Lake is a large, man-made lake in Trinity County, California. It was created by building the Trinity Dam on the Trinity River. The dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Trinity Lake holds a huge amount of water, about 2.4 million acre-feet. This makes it one of the biggest reservoirs in California. The lake helps store water for the Central Valley Project. This project sends water to the Central Valley for farming. It also creates electricity using the power of water. People love Trinity Lake for its calm waters, many small bays, and great conditions for water-skiing.
The lake was once called Clair Engle Lake. This was to honor Clair Engle, a U.S. Senator from California who passed away in 1964. However, many local people still preferred the original name. So, the lake's name was eventually changed back to Trinity Lake.
The lake has three main places where boats can dock, called marinas. These are Trinity Alps Marina, Cedar Stock Marina, and Trinity Center Marina. Most of these marinas let people rent houseboats for vacations all year round.
Contents
How Trinity Lake Was Formed
Trinity Lake is located in northern California, near the town of Redding, California. It's also close to the old Gold Rush town of Weaverville. The beautiful mountains around the lake are called the Trinity Alps.
The Trinity Alps: A Mountain Story
The Trinity Alps were formed a very long time ago. This happened during the late Jurassic Period. Hot, melted rock called magma cooled deep underground. This created strong, hard rocks. Also, the Earth's huge landmasses, called continents, were slowly moving apart. This movement also helped shape the mountains.
Later, during cold periods called ice ages, glaciers moved across the land. These huge sheets of ice carved out valleys and shaped the mountains even more. Today, only a few small glaciers are left on the highest peaks, like Thompson’s Peak. The area where Trinity Lake now sits used to be a series of deep valleys within these mountains.
History of Trinity Lake
Gold Rush and Water Needs
In 1848, gold was discovered in California. This brought many miners to the Trinity Lake area. Towns like Weaverville grew very quickly. Later, people realized they needed a way to get water from the Trinity River to California’s Central Valley.
In 1958, a plan was made to build the Trinity Dam. This dam would create Trinity Lake. It would also help make hydroelectric power for the local area. The Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project was finished in 1961 when the dam was completed.
Name Changes and Filling the Lake
As mentioned, the lake was called Clair Engle Lake from 1964 to 1997. But it was eventually renamed Trinity Lake. By 1963, the lake was completely filled with water from the Trinity River. It became the third largest lake in California. It has about 145 miles of shoreline.
Early Inhabitants
Long before the dam was built, several Native American tribes lived in this area. The most well-known tribes were the Yurok and Hupa (Hoopa) people. Both of these tribes still have reservation lands in the area today.
Fun Things to Do at Trinity Lake
Trinity Lake is a great place for vacations. It's a bit of a drive from Redding, taking about 90 minutes on a winding mountain road. This makes it a perfect spot for fishing and water sports.
Fishing and Water Sports
Many people enjoy fishing for different kinds of fish here. You can find smallmouth and largemouth bass, catfish, kokanee, rainbow, and brown trout. Even though the dams have changed the river, there are still plenty of fish. This is partly thanks to the Trinity River Fish Hatchery, which helps raise young fish.
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) gives advice on eating fish from Trinity Lake. This is based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in some fish. This advice helps people know how much fish is safe to eat.
Besides fishing, people love to go house boating, speed boating, and water-skiing on the lake.
Exploring Nature
Around the lake, visitors can also enjoy hiking and camping. The beautiful wilderness of the Trinity Alps and the Shasta-Trinity National Forest offers many trails and campsites. It's a wonderful place to explore nature.
Wildlife at Trinity Lake
Fish Populations and Challenges
Since the dams were built and the lake was created, there have been changes to fish populations in the river. Fish like steelhead, Chinook, and Coho Salmon have been affected. This is because the dams changed the places where they used to lay their eggs.
However, the wildlife around the lake is still strong. The lake itself has populations of kokanee salmon and king salmon. You can also find common California lake fish like largemouth and smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, and catfish.
Animals on Land
Black bears are common in the area. If you are camping, it's important to keep your food and garbage stored safely. This helps protect both you and the bears. Other animals you might see include bobcats, mountain lions, and many different kinds of birds.
