Lake Natoma is a small
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in the
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, along the lower
American River
, name_etymology =
, image = American River CA.jpg
, image_size = 300
, image_caption = The American River at Folsom
, map = Americanrivermap.png
, map_size = 300
, map_caption ...
, between
Folsom Folsom may refer to:
People
* Folsom (surname)
Places in the United States
* Folsom, Perry County, Alabama
* Folsom, Randolph County, Alabama
* Folsom, California
* Folsom, Georgia
* Folsom, Louisiana
* Folsom, Missouri
* Folsom, New Jerse ...
and
Nimbus Dam
The Nimbus Dam is a base load hydroelectric dam on the American River near Folsom, California. Approximately of water is retained by the dam. It is responsible for the impoundment of water from the American River to create the Lake Natoma reser ...
s in
Sacramento County
Sacramento County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,585,055. Its county seat is Sacramento, which has been the state capital of California since 1854.
Sacramento County is the ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. The lake is located within the
Folsom Lake State Recreation Area which is responsible for maintaining the facilities and bike trails surrounding the lake. Lake Natoma is located 15 miles east of Sacramento, and has 500 surface acres of water. The total length of lake Natoma is 4 miles.
Lake Natoma is a recreational lake for rowing,
kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...
, and
swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
; powerboats are permitted with a "no wake" restriction. It is home to the
Sacramento State
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is the eleventh oldest school in the 23-campus California ...
Aquatic Center, and regularly hosts West Coast College Rowing Championships, the
Pac-12 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its College football, football teams compete in the NCAA D ...
rowing championships, and, every four years, the
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) governs intercollegiate rowing between varsity men's heavyweight, men's lightweight, and women's lightweight rowing programs across the United States, while the NCAA fulfills this role for women's ope ...
Championships. The Lake Natoma Four Bridges
Half Marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...
is held each October at the lake.
Lake Natoma includes the historic Black Miners Bar area in
Folsom Folsom may refer to:
People
* Folsom (surname)
Places in the United States
* Folsom, Perry County, Alabama
* Folsom, Randolph County, Alabama
* Folsom, California
* Folsom, Georgia
* Folsom, Louisiana
* Folsom, Missouri
* Folsom, New Jerse ...
, the site of a
gold rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New Z ...
era African-American
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
camp.
The
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park is a historical site preserving an 1895 alternating current (AC) hydroelectric power station—one of the first in the United States.
Before the Folsom powerhouse was built nearly all electric power houses we ...
overlooks Lake Natoma in the city of Folsom. It is a California State Historical site, preserving an early hydroelectric power station.
A paved cycling and jogging trail encircles the lake along with unpaved equestrian trails. The
Folsom South Canal Trail also begins at the lake. Several parking lots and boat launching ramps are located around the lake.
History
In the 1950s, after the Folsom Dam was constructed as part of the Central Valley project work began on Nimbus Dam which would create Lake Natoma. Lake Natoma was built to manage water released from Folsom Dam. Lake Natoma is a reservoir that was built in conjunction with the Folsom Dam and Folsom reservoir by the Central Valley Project Authority. In addition to maintaining water flow the lake provides water to irrigation canals and generates hydro electric power
/sup>. After Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake were built, the Bureau of Reclamation was given control of operation for both reservoirs and dams.
Mining History
Before Natoma reservoir was created the section of the American river it now occupies was the site of many gold mining operations in the 1800s.
Around 1956, the Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...
and California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...
, also known as State Parks, formed an agreement that State Parks will be responsible for recreational activities on Lake Natoma, as well as Folsom Lake.
Recreation History
In 1979, the general plan for the State Recreational Area at Folsom Lake, including Lake Natoma, was amended three times before it was approved. As part of the 1979 General Plan amendment, the Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park became a separate unit, not a part of the Folsom Unit.
In 2002, multiple meetings were held for public input and for interested stakeholder to plan and prepare for recreational purposes adequate enough for the growing populations. There was a 62% increase in population since the General Plan was accepted in 1979.
Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
Folsom Powerhouse
On the south bank of Lake Natoma lies the old Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park, located in the City of Folsom at the intersection of Riley and Scott Streets. The Folsom Powerhouse was the first powerhouse to generate electricity for the city of Sacramento in 1895 . ''clarification_needed''.html" ;"title="wikipedia:Please clarify">''clarification needed''">wikipedia:Please clarify">''clarification needed''/sup> The powerhouse was open until 1952 when construction of the Folsom Dam was completed. The construction of the new hydroelectric dam rendered the Folsom powerhouse obsolete. The old dam that was used in conjunction with the old powerhouse was removed during the construction of the new dam. ''clarification_needed''.html" ;"title="wikipedia:Please clarify">''clarification needed''">wikipedia:Please clarify">''clarification needed''/sup> This historic site brought 11,000 volts of electricity over 22 miles to Sacramento. The site is under the National Register of Historic Places. There is a visitor center where the public can learn more about the history of the park.
Physical features
Surrounding this narrow lake are foothills, plateaus, cliffs and river canyons. A dense riparian ecosystem encircles the lake. The Lake Natoma Bluffs stand and line the lake from the Negro-Branco moist forests, Negro Bar to the Mississippi Bar.
Recreational activities
People come to this area for many activities, especially in the summer. The area is accessible via US Highway 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlantic ...
. Since these reservoirs are located in the metropolitan area, the State Recreational Area (SRA) tries to create a habitat suitable for the wildlife that are already living there, to have both "recreation and nature." In 2000, there were over 1.5 million visitors to Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, including Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake.
Water and land uses
Lake Natoma was first ready for the public in 1958. The common water activities are kayaking, rowing, canoeing, swimming, water skiing, sailing, and fishing. Land activities include hiking, biking, picnicking, jogging, and horseback riding. Educational activities are also available, including information about historical sites near Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake. Like the common fish that spawn in the American River
, name_etymology =
, image = American River CA.jpg
, image_size = 300
, image_caption = The American River at Folsom
, map = Americanrivermap.png
, map_size = 300
, map_caption ...
, the history of the California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...
, and Native American life before the Europeans
Europeans are the focus of European ethnology, the field of anthropology related to the various ethnic groups that reside in the states of Europe. Groups may be defined by common genetic ancestry, common language, or both. Pan and Pfeil (2004) ...
' arrival.
Major facilities
Boat launch
The lake has three boat launches for powerboats, jetskis, and sailboats. These launches are well designed with two hard surface launches and one gravel launch. With enough room to turn around, and parking areas. Fishermen like to use the Negro Bar launch, as many fishing tournament events occur nearby. California State University Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is the eleventh oldest school in the 23-campus California ...
(CSUS) holds rowing classes here.
Campgrounds
There is only one campground open to the public on lake Natoma: Black Miner's Bar Group Campground.
Willow Creek
Located at the Willow Creek inlet to Lake Natoma, this area is used for both land and water activities. The area is used for picnicking, birdwatching, fishing, and canoeing. Lake Natoma Trail is nearby.
Aquatic Center for CSUS
Where the Nimbus Dam
The Nimbus Dam is a base load hydroelectric dam on the American River near Folsom, California. Approximately of water is retained by the dam. It is responsible for the impoundment of water from the American River to create the Lake Natoma reser ...
ends, there is an Aquatic Center right on Lake Natoma that belongs to the California State University Sacramento (CSUS). This is where CSUS holds some of their aquatic classes, such as skiing and wind surfing.
Bike path
A bike path follows along the East Trail and West Trail of Nimbus Dam
The Nimbus Dam is a base load hydroelectric dam on the American River near Folsom, California. Approximately of water is retained by the dam. It is responsible for the impoundment of water from the American River to create the Lake Natoma reser ...
that lines Lake Natoma.
Dirt trails
Six miles of dirt trail lead to Nimbus Flat and Willow Creek. There are also dirt trails on both sides of Lake Natoma; one is six miles and other is nine miles.
Nimbus Fish Hatchery
Under Nimbus Dam and Lake Natoma lies the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, operated by the California Department of Fish and Games, that was built in 1955 by the U.S Bureau of Reclamation. The California Department of Fish and Games operates a visitor center here. The hatchery replicates spawning environments by creating a fish ladder that guides salmon and steelheads to spawn. For recreational fishing in the northern and Central California bodies of water, the hatchery produces 4 million Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus ''Oncorhynchus''. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other ve ...
and over 400,000 Steelhead
Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the common name of the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or redband trout (O. m. gairdneri). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific basin in Northeast Asia and N ...
trout per year.
Animals
Native animals known to lie here are the mule deer, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, quail, bald and golden eagle, heron, egret, western pond turtle, and California horned lizard. A few common fish in Lake Natoma are catfish and carp. Aquatic animals in Lake Natoma are usually tolerant of warm water and low oxygen level water. Other fish found here are bass, bluegill, and green sunfish. Right under Nimbus Dam are steelheads, Chinook salmon, American shad, and Pacific lampreys. Bald eagles and golden eagles can be found around Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma for nesting; about six bald eagles and two golden eagles are observed annually. Both are protected under the Federal Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940.
Environmental issues
Mercury
Fish at Lake Natoma were found to have high levels of mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
in their tissue. A sample of 22 fish showed that mercury levels had approached or exceed guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon pro ...
, which is set at 3 microgram Hg/g wet weight. Since there were too few samples, it is not known for sure if mercury is randomly distributed throughout Lake Natoma. Concentration of mercury increases as sizes of fish increase, usually because of bioaccumulation
Bioaccumulation is the gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than that at which the substance is lost or eliminated ...
. Factors include length, weight, and age. For example, predators at the top of the food chain, such as large bass mouth, spotted bass, and white catfish, usually have higher concentrations.
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, commonly referred to as OEHHA (pronounced oh-EEE-ha), is a specialized department within the cabinet-level California Environmental Protection Agency ( CalEPA) with responsibility for evaluatin ...
(OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for Lake Natoma, based on levels of mercury found in fish caught here.
See also
* List of dams and reservoirs in California
Following is a list of dams and reservoirs in California in a sortable table. There are over 1,400 named dams and 1,300 named reservoirs in the state of California.
Dams in service
:''Please add to this list from the below sources.''
Former ...
* List of lakes in California
There are more than 3,000 named lakes, reservoirs, and dry lakes in the U.S. state of California.
Largest lakes
In terms of area covered, the largest lake in California is the Salton Sea, a lake formed in 1905 which is now saline. It occupies ...
External links
Nimbus Dam fact sheet
- United States Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...
References
*Saiki, M.K. (2004). ''Summary of total mercury concentrations in fillets of selected sport fishes collected during 2000-2003 from Lake Natoma, Sacramento County, California'' ata Series 103 Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
{{Central Valley Project infrastructure
Natoma
Natoma
American River (California)
Central Valley Project
Parks in the San Joaquin Valley
Rowing venues in the United States
Natoma