Vasona Reservoir is an
artificial lake
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 ...
located in
Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos (, ; ) is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area just southwest of San Jose in the foothills of the ...
, United States. A county park surrounds the reservoir
and provides limited fishing
("
catch and release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture, often a fast measurement and weighing of the fish is performed, followed by posed photography as proof of the catch, and then the fish are unhooked and returned ...
"), picnicking, and informal play activities. Although swimming is not allowed,
human-powered boating is permitted in the reservoir.
History
The reservoir was formed by the Vasona Percolating Dam, built in 1935 across
Los Gatos Creek.
It is the smallest reservoir owned by the
Santa Clara Valley Water District
The Santa Clara Valley Water District (also known as Valley Water) provides stream stewardship, wholesale water supply and flood protection for Santa Clara County, California, in the southern San Francisco Bay Area. The district encompasses all of ...
.
Albert August Vollmer, who came to the area in 1887, named the area after a pony he had had as a child.
Vasona Dam
Vasona Dam is an earthen dam high and long. Its crest is above sea level.
New gates were installed in the dam in 1997.
Vasona Lake County Park
Vasona Lake County Park
is one of 28
Santa Clara County Parks
Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, sometimes referred to as Santa Clara County Parks Department or Santa Clara County Parks, is a government department in Santa Clara County, California. The department manages 29 parks with a total ...
.
The
park
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
surrounds the reservoir, with Oak Meadow Park adjacent to the west. The reservoir offers fishing for black bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill.
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 ...
*
List of lakes in the San Francisco Bay Area
This list of lakes in the San Francisco Bay Area groups lakes, ponds, and reservoirs by county. Numbers in parentheses are Geographic Names Information System feature ids.
Alameda County
* Almond Reservoir ()
* Berryman Reservoir ()
* Bethany ...
References
Embankment dams
Dams in California
Los Gatos, California
Reservoirs in Santa Clara County, California
United States local public utility dams
Dams completed in 1935
Reservoirs in California
Reservoirs in Northern California
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