Type Reservoir Primary outflows San Joaquin River Max. length 5 mi (8.0 km) Surface elevation 1,015 m Length 8 km Catchment area 2,585 km² Outflow location San Joaquin River | Primary inflows Basin countries United States Max. width 1.5 mi (2.4 km) Area 4.452 km² Width 2.4 km Inflow source San Joaquin River | |
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Mammoth Pool Reservoir is a reservoir on the San Joaquin River in the Sierra Nevada, within the Sierra National Forest in California. It creates the border between Fresno County and Madera County. It is about 45 miles (72 km) north-northeast of Fresno.
Contents
Map of Mammoth Pool Reservoir, California, USA
Hydroelectric powerEdit
The 123,000 acre·ft (152,000,000 m3) reservoir is formed by Mammoth Pool Dam, an earth-fill dam completed in 1960. It was built by Southern California Edison for hydroelectricity production. The dam's power plant can produce up to 190 megawatts. The dam, reservoir and power plant are part of the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project, perhaps the most extensive hydroelectric system in the world.
RecreationEdit
The reservoir is also a recreation area. Activities at the lake include, swimming, fishing, camping and boating.
The reservoir is closed to the public during the month of May and the first half of June to allow migrating deer to swim across the reservoir, which spend the summer in the Sierra Nevada highlands.
The reservoir is inaccessible following the first snowstorm, usually occurring in November, as the access road is not snowplowed.