Nicasio Reservoir

Nicasio Reservoir
Location	Marin County, California
Coordinates	38°04′36″N 122°45′16″W / 38.07667°N 122.75444°W / 38.07667; -122.75444Coordinates: 38°04′36″N 122°45′16″W / 38.07667°N 122.75444°W / 38.07667; -122.75444
Lake type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Nicasio Creek
Primary outflows	Nicasio Creek
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	845 acres (3.42 km2)[1]
Water volume	22,400 acre·ft (27,600,000 m3)[1]
Surface elevation	144 ft (44 m)[2]
Settlements	Nicasio, California
References	[2]

Nicasio Reservoir is a shallow, man-made reservoir in the Nicasio Valley region of Marin County, California, United States. It covers 845 acres (3.42 km²) and sits in a 35.9 square miles (93 km²) drainage basin. It was created by the construction of Seeger Dam on the Nicasio Creek in 1961. Seeger Dam is a 115-foot (35 m) tall, 400-foot (120 m) long earthen dam owned by the Marin Municipal Water District.^[1]

Controversy

The construction in the dam aroused much controversy among longtime residents of the area.^{[citation needed]} The Water District forced the displacement of many farms, including the McIsaac family farm and the Tomasini Ranch, on which the majority of the reservoir sits.^[3] The controversy stems from the fact the water from the reservoir is rarely used by the Water District, that the broad and shallow nature of the reservoir leads to quick evaporation, and that the dam has blocked valuable spawning areas for endangered species of salmon^[3] and steelhead trout. Construction of Seeger Dam wiped out the salmon population in Nicasio Creek. The District briefly attempted to trap salmon below the dam and transport them by truck further up Nicasio Creek and Halleck Creek. However, the effort proved unsuccessful.^[3]

Ecology

A river otter (Lontra canadensis) was collected by the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the southwest corner of Nicasio Reservoir in January, 2008.^[4]

Recreational uses

The reservoir is used for recreational purposes; mainly fishing and hiking. Largemouth bass, carp and catfish are caught in the lake. There are problems with illegal poaching.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Dams Within the Jurisdiction of the State of California" (PDF). http://damsafety.water.ca.gov/docs/Juris%20(N-S)10-07.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-17. 
2. ^ ^{a b} U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Nicasio Reservoir
3. ^ ^{a b c} Resneck, Jacob (October 28, 2004). "Nicasio History Revealed by Low Reservoir". Point Reyes Light. 
4. ^ "Lontra canadensis brevipilosus". Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. 2008-01-29. http://arctos.database.museum/guid/MVZ:Mamm:223471. Retrieved 2011-05-23.