Naraghi Lake is an
artificial lake within the central valley city of
Modesto
Modesto () is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,464 at the 2020 census, it is the 19th largest city in the state of California and forms part of the Sacramento-Stockton- ...
, in
Stanislaus County, California
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.
History
Naraghi Lake was excavated in the 1980s as one of a planned series of
water features intended for a substantial residential and commercial development complex situated across both sides of Oakdale Road. The lake derives its name from the Naraghi family, prominent landowners in the area who spearheaded the initial development plans. However, shortly after the excavation of the lake, the Naraghi development project encountered financial and market difficulties, resulting in its abandonment. Consequently, the lake stood as the sole vestige of the unrealized development plan. Subsequently, the surrounding land was sold off and developed as per new initiatives. Despite the change in ownership of the surrounding land, Naraghi Lake remains under the ownership of the Naraghi family.
It was open to the public for
fishing and
recreational use until 2004, when liability issues and problems related to people dumping
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
into the lake including a
fish related to the
piranha
A piranha or piraña (, , or ; or , ) is one of a number of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae, or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, ...
, finally prompted the Naraghi family to fence in the perimeter.
Over the years, various proposals for the land surrounding Naraghi Lake have been deliberated. These include transforming it into a
city park, constructing private residences along its perimeter, and developing apartment or office complexes on the property.
C&ED 2008 Modesto.Gov Fall Quarterly Newsletter, Naraghi Lakes Commercial Project] However, the implementation of these plans has been hindered by the dwindling amount of available land surrounding the lake. Consequently, many of these proposals have stalled at the discussion phase and have not progressed further.
Warning of Emerald_cockroach_wasp parasites in the area following the patches of Datura
''Datura'' is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, vespertine-flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae. They are commonly known as thornapples or jimsonweeds, but are also known as devil's trumpets (not to be conf ...
and Roaches
Geography
The surface area of the lake is .
Naraghi Lake is supplied from MID canals and pipelines. It was built by excavating a hole in the otherwise flat terrain and was lined with bentonite to eliminate percolation.
Fish
The commonly found fish in the lake are Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie
Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers.
Etymology
The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...
, Catfish, Spotted Bass, White Bass, Striped Bass
The striped bass (''Morone saxatilis''), also called the Atlantic striped bass, striper, linesider, rock, or rockfish, is an anadromous perciform fish of the family Moronidae found primarily along the Atlantic coast of North America. It has al ...
, and Trout. Other wildlife like ducks
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
and geese can also be found in and near the lake.
See also
* List of lakes in California
References
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Lakes of Stanislaus County, California
Modesto, California
Lakes of Northern California
Lakes of California