Whale Rock Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whale Rock Reservoir |
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 Whale Rock Reservoir
Location in California
Whale Rock Reservoir
Location in the United States
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| Location | San Luis Obispo County, California |
| Coordinates | 35°27′30″N 120°52′20″W / 35.45833°N 120.87222°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 20.6 sq mi (53 km²) |
| Surface elevation | 150 feet (50 m) |
Whale Rock Reservoir is a large reservoir located near Cayucos in San Luis Obispo County, California. It's an important source of water for many people and places in the area.
Contents
What is Whale Rock Reservoir?
A reservoir is like a big, artificial lake. It's built to store water, often for drinking or making electricity. Whale Rock Reservoir was created by building a special wall called a dam across a creek.
How the Dam Was Built
The reservoir was formed when the Whale Rock Dam was built. This dam was constructed on a stream called Old Creek. The Whale Rock Commission oversaw its building.
The dam itself is an earthfill dam. This means it's made mostly of compacted earth and rock. It stands 193 feet (about 59 meters) tall. The dam was finished in 1961.
How Much Water Does It Hold?
Whale Rock Reservoir can hold a lot of water! Its full capacity is about 40,662 acre-feet (50,156,000 m3). This is a huge amount of water, enough to supply many homes.
The area of land that drains water into the reservoir is called its watershed. This watershed covers 20.6 square miles (about 53 square kilometers).
Who Uses the Water?
The water from Whale Rock Reservoir is used as drinking water for several communities. It supplies the city of San Luis Obispo. It also provides water for Cal Poly, a large university.
Other users include the Cayucos Area Water Organization and a state facility called the California Men's Colony.
Moving the Water and Making Power
The water travels from the reservoir to San Luis Obispo through a long pipe. This pipe, called the Whale Rock Conduit, is 17.6 miles (about 28 kilometers) long. It is also 30 inches (760 millimeters) wide.
Near Cal Poly, at the end of this pipeline, there is a special power plant. This plant uses the flowing water to create hydroelectric power. It can produce 800 kilowatts of electricity.
