Pyramid Lake (Southern California)
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Pyramid Lake is a reservoir formed by Pyramid Dam on Piru Creek in the eastern San Emigdio Mountains, near
Castaic Castaic () ( Chumash: ''Kaštiq''; Spanish: ''Castéc'') is an unincorporated community in the northwestern part of Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 19,015. For statistical purposes the Census Bure ...
, Southern California. It is a part of the
West Branch California Aqueduct The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern and Central California to Southern California. Named after Cali ...
, which is a part of the California State Water Project. Its water is fed by the system after being pumped up from the San Joaquin Valley and through the Tehachapi Mountains.


History

In 1843, gold was discovered near what is now Pyramid Lake, in the
Santa Feliciana Canyon Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
, just south of what is now Pyramid Dam. The small find failed to trigger a rush to the mountainous countryside. Only Francisco Lopes, owner of Rancho Temescal, a Mexican land grant, and a handful of ranchers attempted to settle the region. This lake was created in 1972, and completed in 1973, as a holding reservoir for the California State Water Project. The lake was named after a pyramid-shaped rock carved out by engineers building U.S. Route 99. Travelers between Los Angeles and Bakersfield christened the landmark “Pyramid Rock,” which still stands just adjacent to the dam.


Geography

Pyramid Lake is the deepest lake in the California Water Project system, built up along the steep canyon walls surrounding Piru Creek. The reservoir lies on the border between the Angeles National Forest and the Los Padres National Forest, in the northwestern portion of
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
. It is to the west of Interstate 5 (I-5) south of Tejon Pass. The former alignment of US 99 is below the waters here, replaced by I-5. Just below the dam, Piru Creek returns to its natural state as it winds down through the Topatopa Mountains to feed into the Lake Piru reservoir and later the Santa Clara River. Water from Pyramid Lake continues through the
Angeles Tunnel The Angeles Tunnel is a , water tunnel located in the Sierra Pelona Mountains in Los Angeles County, California, about north of Los Angeles."Angeles Tunnel", U.S. Geological Survey.''Pyramid Lake'' 2000, p. 1.American Society 1970, p. 131. It w ...
to Castaic Lake, which is the terminus of the west branch of the aqueduct.


Description

The earth and rock dam was built by the California Department of Water Resources and was completed in 1973. Pyramid Lake is part of the California Aqueduct, which is part of the California State Water Project. Outflow goes downstream to Castaic Lake, which is the terminus of this West Branch aqueduct line. Pyramid and Castaic lakes act as the upper and lower reservoirs for the Castaic Power Plant, a 1,495 megawatt pumped storage
hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
plant located at Castaic Lake.CA—DWR: Pyramid Lake
/ref> The plant generates electricity from the water that flows down from Pyramid Lake to Castaic Lake, and can store energy by pumping water in the reverse direction when desired. It is the deepest lake in the California Water Project system. Its name comes from the Pyramid Rock, created when a ridge was cut through in 1932 by the Ridge Route Alternate (US 99). Pyramid Rock still exists directly in front of the dam.


Recreation

Pyramid Lake offers boating, fishing, jet skiing, and picnic areas (including 5 unique sites that are accessible only by boat), and courtesy docks. Vista del Lago Visitors Center overlooks the lake. Access is from exiting Interstate 5 at Vista Del Lago Road (Exit 191). Fishing is allowed from every location at Pyramid Lake. One can catch fish such as large mouth bass, small mouth bass, striped bass, blue gill, crappie, and some trout. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for fish caught in Piru Creek based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in local species.


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


References


External links


CA Dept. of Water Resources—DWR: Pyramid Lake Recreation websitePyramid Lake Los Alamos campground info and reservation site
{{authority control Reservoirs in Los Angeles County, California California State Water Project San Emigdio Mountains Reservoirs in California U.S. Route 99 Reservoirs in Southern California Artificial lakes of the United States 1972 establishments in California