This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
Shasta Lake, also popularly known as Lake Shasta,[1] is a reservoirinShasta County, California, United States. It began to store water in 1944[2] due to the impounding of the Sacramento RiverbyShasta Dam, the ninth tallest dam in the United States.[3]
| Shasta Lake | |
|---|---|
ASentinel-2 image of the lake
| |
  Shasta Lake Show map of California  Shasta Lake Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Shasta-Trinity National Forest Shasta County, California |
| Coordinates | 40°45′37″N 122°22′19″W / 40.7602°N 122.37190°W / 40.7602; -122.37190 |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Sacramento River, Pit River, McCloud River |
| Primary outflows | Sacramento River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 35 mi (56 km) |
| Surface area | 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) |
| Max. depth | 517 ft (158 m) |
| Water volume | 4,552,000 acre⋅ft (5.615 km3) |
| Shore length1 | 365 mi (587 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,067 ft (325 m) |
| Settlements | Lakehead |
| References | U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Shasta |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Shasta Lake is a key facility of the Central Valley Project and provides flood control for the Sacramento Valley downstream of the dam. Water outflow generates power through the Shasta Powerplant[4] and is subsequently used for irrigation and municipal purposes.[5]
The reservoir lies within the Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area, operated by the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for fish caught in the lake based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in local species.[6]
With a capacity of 4,552,000 acre⋅ft (5.615 km3) at full pool, the lake has an elevation of 1,067 ft (325 m), and a surface area of 30,000 acres (12,000 ha), making it the state's largest reservoir, and its third-largest body of water after Lake Tahoe and the Salton Sea.
Ten miles (16 km) north of the city of Redding, with the town of Lakehead on its northern shore, Shasta Lake is popular for boating, water skiing, camping, house boating and fishing. Formed by the damming of the Sacramento River, the lake has 365 mi (587 km) of mostly steep mountainous shoreline covered with tall evergreen trees and manzanita. The maximum depth is 517 feet (158 m).
The lake has four major arms, each created by an approaching river: the Sacramento River, the McCloud River, Squaw Creek, and the Pit River. The Sacramento River's source is the Klamath Mountains. The McCloud River's source is Mount Shasta. The Pit River flows from Alturas, and the waterfall Potem Falls is located on that arm of the lake.
Shasta Dam was constructed between 1935 and 1945 across the Sacramento River, and Shasta Lake was formed in 1948. The Pit River, McCloud River, and several smaller tributaries had their lower courses and confluences with the Sacramento River submerged by the reservoir. Also beneath the lake is the submerged town of Kennett and many village sites of the Wintun people together with their traditional fishing, hunting, and gathering locations. Parts of the defunct tunnels and right of way of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company can be seen when the water level is low.
Shasta Lake hosted the first "Boardstock" event in 1996, which continued there annually through 1999, after which the annual event moved to Clear Lake, California, 170 miles southwest of Shasta Lake. Boardstock drew many professional wakeboard riders from around the world, with an average attendance of 15,000 people. The event lasted for 3 days each year with several wakeboard contests being performed.
There are a number of marinas on Shasta Lake offering a variety of services, including houseboat rentals.
Shasta Lake has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Csa) typical of the interior of Northern California with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, along with great diurnal temperature variation.
| Climate data for Shasta Dam, California (normals 1981-2010)(extremes 1943-2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
80 (27) |
88 (31) |
97 (36) |
107 (42) |
111 (44) |
115 (46) |
115 (46) |
114 (46) |
104 (40) |
90 (32) |
76 (24) |
115 (46) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.0 (11.7) |
57.0 (13.9) |
62.3 (16.8) |
68.6 (20.3) |
77.6 (25.3) |
86.5 (30.3) |
95.3 (35.2) |
94.3 (34.6) |
88.1 (31.2) |
76.0 (24.4) |
60.3 (15.7) |
52.7 (11.5) |
72.6 (22.6) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.3 (7.9) |
49.2 (9.6) |
53.0 (11.7) |
58.0 (14.4) |
66.3 (19.1) |
74.5 (23.6) |
81.8 (27.7) |
80.6 (27.0) |
75.2 (24.0) |
65.2 (18.4) |
52.9 (11.6) |
46.3 (7.9) |
62.4 (16.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 39.5 (4.2) |
41.4 (5.2) |
43.6 (6.4) |
47.4 (8.6) |
55.0 (12.8) |
62.5 (16.9) |
68.3 (20.2) |
66.8 (19.3) |
62.2 (16.8) |
54.4 (12.4) |
45.4 (7.4) |
40.0 (4.4) |
52.5 (11.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 19 (−7) |
21 (−6) |
25 (−4) |
28 (−2) |
35 (2) |
38 (3) |
50 (10) |
44 (7) |
43 (6) |
34 (1) |
30 (−1) |
14 (−10) |
14 (−10) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 10.84 (275) |
11.33 (288) |
9.48 (241) |
4.75 (121) |
3.23 (82) |
1.37 (35) |
0.20 (5.1) |
0.25 (6.4) |
1.00 (25) |
3.68 (93) |
7.63 (194) |
12.06 (306) |
65.82 (1,672) |
| Average precipitation days | 14 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 14 | 93 |
| Source: NOAA[7] | |||||||||||||
