Bridgeport Reservoir

Bridgeport Reservoir
Roadside view of Bridgeport Reservoir
Location of Bridgeport Reservoir in California, USA.
Location of Bridgeport Reservoir in California, USA.
Bridgeport Reservoir
Location of Bridgeport Reservoir in California, USA.
Location of Bridgeport Reservoir in California, USA.
Bridgeport Reservoir
LocationMono County, California
Coordinates38°17′20″N 119°13′52″W / 38.28889°N 119.23111°W / 38.28889; -119.23111[1]
Typereservoir[1]
Primary inflowsEast Walker River
Primary outflowsEast Walker River[1][2]
Catchment area356 square miles (920 km2)[2]
Basin countriesUnited States
Managing agencyWalker River Irrigation District
Built1924; 100 years ago (1924)[2]
Surface area3,125 acres (1,265 ha)[2]
Water volume44,100 acre-feet (54,400,000 m3)[2]
Surface elevation6,460 feet (1,970 m)[1]
SettlementsBridgeport, California
Bridgeport Dam
Bridgeport Reservoir is located in California
Bridgeport Reservoir
Location of Bridgeport Dam in California
CountryUnited States
LocationMono County, California
Coordinates38°17′20″N 119°13′52″W / 38.28889°N 119.23111°W / 38.28889; -119.23111
Owner(s)Walker River Irrigation District[2]
Dam and spillways
Type of damEarth[2]
ImpoundsEast Walker River[2]
Height63 feet (19 m)[2]
Length900 feet (270 m)[2]
Elevation at crest6,471 feet (1,972 m)[2]
Width (crest)15 feet (4.6 m)[2]
Dam volume132,000 cubic yards (101,000 m3)[2]
Reservoir
CreatesBridgeport Reservoir
Total capacity44,100 acre-feet (54,400,000 m3)[2]
Catchment area356 square miles (920 km2)[2]
Surface area3,125 acres (1,265 ha)[2]
Normal elevation6,460 feet (1,970 m)[1]

Bridgeport Reservoir is a man-made reservoir at the lower end of Bridgeport Valley in Mono County, California. Its earth-filled dam was constructed in 1923 by the Walker River Irrigation District,[3] along the East Walker River. The lake has a storage capacity of 42,455 acre-feet (52,367,000 m3)[4] and is supplying agricultural irrigation water for use in Nevada's Walker River Irrigation District. In some years, the reservoir has also been used to aid flood control for Lyon County, Nevada.[5]

The community of Bridgeport, which is the seat of Mono County, and the Bryant Field airstrip, are located along the river and adjacent to the upper end of the lake.

Recreational opportunities include boating and trout fishing, and resorts with boat launch facilities are located along the lake's eastern shore.[6] Access is provided by California State Route 182.

  1. ^ a b c d e "Bridgeport Reservoir". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Dams Within the Jurisdiction of the State of California (A-G)" (PDF). California Department of Water Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  3. ^ State of Nevada Division of Water Resources, "Walker River Chronology" Archived December 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension, Fact Sheet 98-18, "Recreational Activities and Issues in the Walker River Basin" Archived December 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Western Engineering and Surveying Services, "History of Water Right Transfers in Walker River Basin", Prepared for Great Basin Land and Water, April 23, 2007 Archived June 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine accessed December 2009
  6. ^ California Department of Boating and Waterways, Facility Index, ID number 293 Archived 2010-01-12 at the Wayback Machine accessed December 2009