Lake San Antonio is a

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 ...

located primarily in southern

Monterey County, California Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas. Monte ...

, and partially in northern San Luis Obispo County, California. The lake is formed by San Antonio Dam on the

San Antonio River The San Antonio River is a major waterway that originates in central Texas in a cluster of springs in midtown San Antonio, about 4 miles north of downtown, and follows a roughly southeastern path through the state. It eventually feeds into the ...

. The dam is 202 feet (62 m) tall and was completed in 1965 under Monterey County District Engineer Loran Bunte Jr . The lake and dam are owned by the Monterey County Water Authority. The lake has a capacity of . Lake San Antonio's primary purpose is to provide

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated ...

. Without the lake, the San Antonio River would be nearly dry in the summer months. With water in the river year-round, more of it can seep into the ground. Most of the lake has dried in recent years. The 2014 Wildflower Triathlon had to accommodate the extremely low water level by moving the swim portion two miles from where it is traditionally held. Participants that year had to run along the former lake bed to get to their bike transition area. In June 2015, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors announced it would close the camping and other facilities at Lake San Antonio effective 1 July 2015, due to costs and falling attendance.http://www.ksbw.com/news/monterey-county-closing-lake-san-antonio-because-of-drought/33426734 "Monterey County closing Lake San Antonio because of drought"

Area activities

Boating,

waterskiing Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski. The sport requires suffici ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...

are popular recreational activities at the lake, particularly in the summer. Visitors can bring their own boats or rent them at the lake. Horseback riding and mountain biking are also popular; the south shore of Lake San Antonio has 26 miles of trails. 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 eatin
advisory
for Lake San Antonio based on levels of mercury or

PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly carcinogenic chemical compounds, formerly used in industrial and consumer products, whose production was banned in the United States by the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1979 and internationally by t ...

found in fish caught from this water body.

Camping

Lake San Antonio has over 500 campsites. Many campsites have RV hookups. Sites are available both directly on the north shore and on the south shore of the lake, as well as in the more forested areas a short walk away. The North Shore of Lake San Antonio is unique, as it is one of the few lakes in California that permits shoreline camping on the water's edge. Because of this, it has grown in popularity with boaters, who are allowed to keep their vessel in the water by their campsite. There is ample shoreline camping at North Shore. Most campers prefer North Shore over Lake Nacimiento (Located 9 miles south) because of the much larger campsites, and ability to camp on the water's edge.

Wildlife

Deer frequent the campsites, even lounging around near campsites during daylight hours. Other wildlife that may be spotted include mountain lions, snakes, wild pigs, racoons, bobcats, and badgers. Eagles frequent the lake and tours are offered during select months.

Bald eagles

Lake San Antonio is a popular winter habitat for the bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States. Monterey County Parks provides tours in January and February for visitors interested in viewing the bald eagle in its native habitat. Tours must be reserved in advance, as they often sell out weeks before they take place.

Wildflower Triathlon

Lake San Antonio is the site of the annual Wildflower Triathlon, one of the largest triathlon events in the world. The "Long Course", a half-Ironman, is considered to be especially grueling.

Falling Lake Levels and Closure

Beginning in summer 2013, the water level at Lake San Antonio fell dramatically. The initial drop occurred during emergency repairs on the Lake Nacimiento Dam - Lake San Antonio water was used to sustain the flow of the river below the dam."Drought means lower lake levels, more crowded shores"
/ref> The problem was exacerbated by the ongoing drought in the region. With lake facilities such as the boat ramp no longer usable, attendance fell sharply (from over 250,000 visitors per year to under 100,000 in 2014). Due to lower revenues and high costs to maintain the facilities, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors opted to close the lake effective 1 July 2015 for the remainder of the summer season. Starting in October 2017, the south shore resort area was to open only on weekends, and the north shore area was to be closed, until Memorial Day weekend 2018

References

External links

Lake San Antonio
official information from Monterey County Parks
Cal Dept of Water:Lake San Antonio monthly water level
{{authority control San Antonio, Lake San Antonio, Lake Campgrounds in California Parks in Monterey County, California Salinas River (California) Santa Lucia Range San Antonio, Lake

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...