Lake Solano is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

formed by Putah Diversion Dam impounding

Putah Creek Putah Creek (Patwin: ''Liwaito'') is a major stream in Northern California, a tributary of the Yolo Bypass, and ultimately, the Sacramento River. The creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, a part of the Coast Range, and flows ...

, located in the

Vaca Mountains The Vaca Mountains are a mountain range in Napa and Solano Counties, California that is one of the California Coast Ranges. They represent the easternmost of the Inner Coast Ranges in north−central California, and divide the Suisun Valley on ...

within

Yolo County Yolo County (; Wintun: ''Yo-loy''), officially the County of Yolo, is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 216,403. Its county seat is Woodland. Yolo County is incl ...

and northern

Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which i ...

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

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 ...

has issued a safe eatin
advisory
for any fish caught in Putah Creak including Lake Solano due to elevated levels of mercury.

Geography

The reservoir is long with a capacity of 750 acre-feet. It serves to divert water into the Putah South Canal to supply agricultural and urban users. It is downstream from

Monticello Dam Monticello Dam is a high concrete arch dam in Napa County, California, United States, constructed between 1953 and 1957. The dam impounded Putah Creek to create Lake Berryessa in the Vaca Mountains. Lake Berryessa is currently the seventh-large ...

, also on Putah Creek. The city of Winters is downstream from the Putah Diversion Dam in the western

Sacramento Valley , photo =Sacramento Riverfront.jpg , photo_caption= Sacramento , map_image=Map california central valley.jpg , map_caption= The Central Valley of California , location = California, United States , coordinates = , boundaries = Sierra Nevada (ea ...

Recreation

The lake and the surrounding land is used for recreation as Lake Solano County Park, with public campgrounds and the Lake Solano Nature Center. Activities include picnicking, camping, boating, swimming, fishing, bird watching, and hiking.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Solano County.ca.gov: Lake Solano County Park and Campground
Solano Solano Parks in Solano County, California Protected areas of Yolo County, California Vaca Mountains Winters, California Campgrounds in California