Lake Sabrina

Lake Sabrina
Location of the reservoir in California, USA.
Location of the reservoir in California, USA.
Lake Sabrina
Location of the reservoir in California, USA.
Location of the reservoir in California, USA.
Lake Sabrina
LocationInyo County, California
Coordinates37°12′26″N 118°37′07″W / 37.2072689°N 118.618698°W / 37.2072689; -118.618698
Typereservoir
Primary outflowsMiddle Fork Bishop Creek
Catchment area15.1 square miles (39 km2)[1]
Basin countriesUnited States
Built1907
Surface area184 acres (74 ha)[1]
Water volume8,376 acre-feet (10.332×10^6 m3)[1]
Surface elevation9,128 feet (2,782 m)

Lake Sabrina is a lake created by damming the middle fork of Bishop Creek.[2] It is located south-west of Bishop, California on California State Route 168, in the Inyo National Forest.[3] It has a cafe as well as a dock. The dam was built in 1907–8 to supply a constant flow of water to the hydraulic power plants.[4] The lake is part of the Bishop Creek system.

Local residents pronounce the lake "Sah-bry-nuh;"[5] however, the lake was originally named after Mrs. Sabrina (pronounced: suh-BREE-nuh) Hobbs, wife of C.M. Hobbs first General Manager of California Nevada Power Company which built the dam. The reason for the lake's name pronunciation changing over the years is unclear.[4]

The segment of the State Route 168 from Lake Sabrina east to the community of Aspendell is subject to closure to most vehicles during the winter months, usually not opening until mid- or late-April, due to snow removal.[6][7] The winter road closure gate is actually located to the southwest of Aspendell.[8]

  1. ^ a b c "Dams Within the Jurisdiction of the State of California (N-S)" (PDF). California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  2. ^ "Lake Sabrina". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ Secor, R.J. (1999). The High Sierra: Peaks, Passes, and Trails. The Mountaineers. p. 258.
  4. ^ a b "History of the Canyon". Lake Sabrina Boat Landing. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
  5. ^ Koehler, Cheryl (2007). Touring the Sierra Nevada. University of Nevada Press. p. 135.
  6. ^ "Winter Driving Tips". Caltrans. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  7. ^ "Snow Leaves Eastern Sierra Mountain Roads Closed for the Season". KCET. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  8. ^ "Bishop Area Winter Map" (PDF). Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved 2017-08-03.