Lake Yosemite is an artificial freshwater lake located approximately east of

Merced, California Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...

, in the rolling Sierra Foothills.

UC Merced The University of California, Merced (UC Merced) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university and Hispanic-serving institution located in Merced, California, and is the tenth and newest of the University ...

is situated approximately south of Lake Yosemite. The university is bounded by the lake on one side, and two canals (Fairfield Canal and Le Grand Canal) run through the campus.

Operation

Lake Yosemite 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 ...

built in 1888 for

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

purposes. It is currently owned and operated by Merced Irrigation District, which supplies irrigation water to farms in

Merced County Merced County ( ), is a county located in the northern San Joaquin Valley section of the Central Valley, in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 281,202. The county seat is Merced. The county is named after ...

. Recreation on the lake is managed by the Merced County Parks and Recreation Department.

Recreation

All boating is permitted, including

jet ski Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki, a Japanese company. The term is often used generically to refer to any type of personal watercraft used mainly for recreation, and it is also used as a verb to ...

s and

water skiing 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 suffic ...

. The lake is equipped with boat launches. Swimming is allowed only in certain designated areas. Swimming outside of these areas is strictly prohibited and could result in a citation. A kayak/SUP rental business (The Padyak Shack) is in operation and has a friendly and knowledgeable staff. Onshore, shaded picnic areas, which feature picnic tables, barbecue pits, restrooms, and a small playground, are available.

Lake Yosemite Sailing Association

The lake is home to the Lake Yosemite Sailing Association (LYSA), which was founded in 1988 and currently has more than 90 members. The LYSA hosts club sailboat races at Lake Yosemite Thursday evenings during the summer months and also organizes

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...

trips to nearby lakes and bays in California. Lake Yosemite Sailing Association also conducts Youth Sail camps during the summer months, teaching and training the next generation of sailors.

Alleged paranormal phenomena

The lake's tower is said to be haunted by the "

Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (french: Dame du Lac, Demoiselle du Lac, cy, Arglwyddes y Llyn, kw, Arloedhes an Lynn, br, Itron al Lenn, it, Dama del Lago) is a name or a title used by several either fairy or fairy-like but human enchantresses in the ...

". According to the horror stories, the ghost has long flowing white hair and wears a long white gown. She is said to walk around the tower catwalk and on the lake's surface looking for her lost child or lover. The ghost has also been reported to walk along Old Lake Road, occasionally stepping into the path of oncoming traffic.Ghosts of America - Merced, California Ghost Tales Page 2
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Photos

References

FishersNet Fishin' Maps - Lake YosemiteMerced Irrigation District - Irrigation FactsMerced Irrigation District - Water Shed MapUSGS/Trails.com - Topographic Map Reservoir Features in Merced County, California

Footnotes

External links

Lake Yosemite WebsiteLake Yosemite Sailing AssociationMerced County Parks and Recreation DepartmentMerced Irrigation District
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