 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (August 2014) |
| Shasta Lake | |
|---|---|
 A Sentinel-2 image of the lake | |
  Shasta Lake  Shasta Lake | |
| Location | Shasta-Trinity National Forest Shasta County, California |
| Coordinates | 40°45′37″N 122°22′19″W / 40.7602°N 122.37190°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Sacramento River, Pit River, McCloud River |
| Primary outflows | Sacramento River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 35 mi (56 km) |
| Surface area | 30,000 acres (12,000 ha) |
| Max. depth | 517 ft (158 m) |
| Water volume | 4,552,000 acre⋅ft (5.615 km3) |
| Shore length1 | 365 mi (587 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,067 ft (325 m) |
| Settlements | Lakehead |
| References | U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Shasta |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Shasta Lake, also popularly known as Lake Shasta,[1] is a reservoir in Shasta County, California, United States. It began to store water in 1944[2] due to the impounding of the Sacramento River by Shasta Dam, the ninth tallest dam in the United States.[3]
Shasta Lake is a key facility of the Central Valley Project and provides flood control for the Sacramento Valley downstream of the dam. Water outflow generates power through the Shasta Powerplant[4] and is subsequently used for irrigation and municipal purposes.[5]
The reservoir lies within the Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area, operated by the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for fish caught in the lake based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in local species.[6]
The Shasta-Keswick Reservoir system is significantly contaminated with heavy metals, primarily due to contributions from four streams.[7] Three of these streams contain acid mine drainage, with Spring Creek being the most notable contributor. This drainage releases high concentrations of zinc, cadmium, and copper into the water. At the points where these acid streams mix with lake water, localized toxicity occurs, posing an immediate threat to aquatic life. The synergistic effects of these metals further exacerbate the environmental impact, leading to concerns about the safety of consuming fish from this water source.[7]
- ^ "Lake Shasta" Archived 2016-04-24 at the Wayback Machine; "Lake Shasta"; "Lake Shasta"; "Lake Shasta";
- ^ "California: Shasta Dam (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
- ^ "USSD Dam, Hydropower and Reservoir Statistics". United States Society on Dams. Archived from the original on 2014-12-29. Retrieved 2014-11-29.
- ^ "Bureau of Reclamation". www.usbr.gov. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
- ^ "Bureau of Reclamation". www.usbr.gov. Retrieved 2018-12-27.
- ^ Pham, Huyen Tran (2017-01-24). "Shasta Lake". OEHHA. Retrieved 2018-06-13.
- ^ a b "Heavy metal discharges into Shasta Lake and Keswick reservoirs on the upper Sacramento River, California; a reconnaissance during low flow | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2024-10-13.