Lake Casitas

Lake Casitas
Location	Los Padres National Forest Ventura County, California
Coordinates	34°23′33″N 119°20′05″W / 34.3924°N 119.3346°W / 34.3924; -119.3346Coordinates: 34°23′33″N 119°20′05″W / 34.3924°N 119.3346°W / 34.3924; -119.3346
Lake type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Coyote Creek
Primary outflows	Coyote Creek
Catchment area	100 km2 (39 sq mi)
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	5.3 km (3.3 mi)
Max. width	3 km (1.9 mi)
Surface area	1,100 acres (450 ha)
Water volume	254,000 acre·ft (313,000,000 m3)
Surface elevation	103 m (338 ft)
Islands	Main Island
References	U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Casitas

Lake Casitas is an artificial lake in the Los Padres National Forest of Ventura County, California, created by the construction of Casitas Dam on Coyote Creek, two miles (3 km) before it joins the Ventura River. Santa Ana Creek and North Fork Coyote Creek also flow into the lake. The dam was constructed of earth-fill and was completed in 1959. It is 279 ft (85 m) and was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The lake has a capacity of 254,000 acre·ft (313,000,000 m³). The dam was built as part of the Ventura River Project. The project provides drinking water and water for irrigation. A secondary benefit is flood control. In the centre of Lake Casitas is 2 km Main Island, whose peak rises more than 500 feet (150 m) from the lake surface.

Human contact with the water is prohibited since it is used for drinking water, but fishing, boating and camping are permitted. During the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Lake Casitas hosted the canoeing and rowing events.^[1] The lake was used as the site for filming the scenes of Camp Greenlake in the 19th century in the 2003 film Holes.

Lake Casitas as seen looking eastward from California State Route 150.

See also

• List of largest reservoirs of California

References

1. ^ 1984 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 1. Part 1. pp. 108-12.

• Bureau of Reclamation (2009). "Ventura River Project". U.S. Department of the Interior. http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Ventura+River+Project. Retrieved 2009-09-29. 
• Department of Water Resources (2009). "Station Meta Data: Lake Casitas (CSI)". California Data Exchange Center. State of California. http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/profile?s=CSI&type=dam. Retrieved 2009-10-11. 
• U.S. Geological Survey (13 June 2000). "Feature Detail Report: Main Island". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). U.S. Department of the Interior. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1870560. Retrieved 2009-10-12. 

External links

• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Casitas
• Lake Casitas Recreation Area