Cachuma Lake

Cachuma Lake
Location of Lake Cachuma in California, USA.
Location of Lake Cachuma in California, USA.
Cachuma Lake
Location of Lake Cachuma in California, USA.
Location of Lake Cachuma in California, USA.
Cachuma Lake
LocationLos Padres National Forest
Santa Barbara County, California
Coordinates34°35′12″N 119°58′52″W / 34.5866555°N 119.9809753°W / 34.5866555; -119.9809753
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsCalifornia Aqueduct
Santa Ynez River
Primary outflowsSanta Ynez River
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area3,100 acres (1,300 ha)
Average depth71 ft (22 m)
Max. depth150 ft (46 m)
Water volume205,000 acre⋅ft (253,000,000 m3)
Shore length122.44 mi (36.11 km)
Surface elevation753 ft (230 m)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Aerial views of Cachuma Lake.

Cachuma Lake is a reservoir in the Santa Ynez Valley of central Santa Barbara County, California on the Santa Ynez River adjoining the north side of California State Route 154. The artificial lake was created by the construction of Bradbury Dam, a 201 ft (61 m) earth-fill structure built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1953. Its surface area covers 3,100 acres (1,300 ha), with a maximum design capacity of 205,000 acre⋅ft (253,000,000 m3), but it is currently limited to 188,000 acre⋅ft (232,000,000 m3) due to sediment accumulation.[1] The late-December 2022 and early-January 2023 storms dramatically raised the water level in the lake, from an average of 33% full to 100% full for the first time in 12 years.

  1. ^ "LAKE CACHUMA DAILY OPERATIONS" (PDF). January 23, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2017.