Lake Arrowhead Reservoir

Lake Arrowhead
Location of Lake Arrowhead Reservoir in California, USA.
Location of Lake Arrowhead Reservoir in California, USA.
Lake Arrowhead
Location of Lake Arrowhead Reservoir in California, USA.
Location of Lake Arrowhead Reservoir in California, USA.
Lake Arrowhead
LocationSan Bernardino County, California
Coordinates34°15′30″N 117°10′58″W / 34.2583°N 117.1828°W / 34.2583; -117.1828
TypeReservoir
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area780 acres (320 ha)
Average depth100 ft (30 m)
Max. depth185 ft (56 m)
Water volume48,000 acre⋅ft (59,000 dam3)
Surface elevation5,125 ft (1,562 m)
SettlementsLake Arrowhead
ReferencesU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Arrowhead Reservoir

Lake Arrowhead is an artificial lake located in the San Bernardino Mountains on Little Bear Creek, a tributary of Deep Creek and the Mojave River. It has a surface area of approximately 780 acres (320 ha) and a capacity of 48,000 acre⋅ft (59,000 dam3).[1] It is surrounded by the unincorporated community of Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County, California.

The lake was originally intended to serve as part of a major waterworks project to provide irrigation water to the San Bernardino Valley, and construction of the Lake Arrowhead Dam began toward that end in 1904. However, the original project was halted due to litigation over water supplies to land owners on the desert side of the mountains. Construction of the dam was completed in 1922 by the Arrowhead Lake Company, a Los Angeles syndicate, as part of a plan to develop the area into a resort.[2]

Use of the lake is currently controlled by the Arrowhead Lake Association, which maintains the lake for the recreational use of its members.[3] Only Lake Arrowhead residents with lake rights may access the water. The Lake Arrowhead Community Services District withdraws water from the lake for treatment and distribution to local residents for potable use.[4]

An aerial view of Lake Arrowhead taken from the south.
  1. ^ "Dams Within the Jurisdiction of the State of California: Listed Alphabetically By Name of Dam (H-M)" (PDF). California Department of Water Resources, Division of Dam Safety. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2012.
  2. ^ "Lake Arrowhead History". bigbear.us. Archived from the original on April 7, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  3. ^ "What is the Arrowhead Lake Association (ALA)?". Arrowhead Lake Association. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2007.
  4. ^ "Water Services". Lake Arrowhead Community Services District. Archived from the original on July 9, 2007. Retrieved February 21, 2007.