Sulphur Creek Dam is a dam across Sulphur Creek in

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The dam creates

Laguna Niguel Lake Laguna Niguel Lake, formerly known as Sulphur Creek Reservoir, is an artificial fishing and recreational lake in Laguna Niguel, California. It is created by the Sulphur Creek Dam, which was completed in 1966. It is located at and is above sea ...

and is entirely within the city of Laguna Niguel. The reservoir is used for water reclamation storage and recreation, and is the main attraction of

Laguna Niguel Regional Park Laguna Niguel Regional Park is a public park in Laguna Niguel, in southern Orange County, California. Its main feature is Laguna Niguel Lake (also known as Sulphur Creek Reservoir), located within the park's boundaries. Laguna Niguel's 4th of J ...

, which surrounds it.

History

Construction of Sulphur Creek Dam was completed in 1966 by the Moulton Niguel Water District. The lake was known as Sulphur Creek Reservoir and used to store treated

reclaimed water Water reclamation (also called wastewater reuse, water reuse or water recycling) is the process of converting municipal wastewater Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produce ...

for irrigation. In 1970 the Orange County Flood Control District purchased the dam and reservoir in conjunction with the city of Laguna Niguel for use as a park. The reservoir was stocked with game fish and opened to public use in 1973, and a boat dock and concessions established in 1976. The dam has suffered from siltation issues caused in part by

urban runoff Urban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater, landscape irrigation, and car washing created by urbanization. Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots and sidewalks) are constructed during land development. During rain , storms and other precipit ...

in Sulphur Creek which brings mud and debris into the reservoir. The silt accumulation led to a lake "turnover" in 1976 which stirred up debris in the lake, killing over 2,000 fish. Another such event happened in 1981, killing 1,500 fish. In 1989 the county spent $1.6 million to refurbish the dam and lake area. The lake was drained and about of silt were removed, increasing the water depth from to . The dam was found to be in deteriorating condition and required concrete resurfacing and the replacement of the outlet gate.

Specifications

The dam is an earthfill structure high and long with a concrete upstream face, and contains of material. There is a outlet gate on the east side of the dam, to release water into Sulphur Creek. The spillway is also located on the east side of the dam and consists of a concrete overflow section and stilling basin. The reservoir has a normal storage capacity of , and a maximum capacity of .

Recreation

The reservoir covers and is used for fishing, boating and camping, as well as the Laguna Niguel Fourth of July fireworks show. The

California Department of Fish and Wildlife The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protect ...

stocks the lake with

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive, ...

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

blue gill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

, and

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

. The dam and reservoir are surrounded by walking and biking trails; however, public access to the top of the dam is prohibited.

References

Dams in California Dams completed in 1966 1966 establishments in California {{OrangeCountyCA-geo-stub

History

Specifications

Recreation

See also

References