Hume Lake
Encyclopedia
Hume Lake is an artificial lake in the Sequoia National Forest
of Fresno County, California
, adjacent to the unincorporated community of Hume
. It is on Tenmile Creek, which flows into the Kings River. The surface elevation of the lake is 1585 m (5,200.1 ft). It is accessible from California Route 180, via Forest Service road 30, and is about 50 mi (80.5 km) east of Fresno
, not far from the west entrance to Kings Canyon National Park
.
The 87 acres (35.2 ha) lake lies behind the world's first concrete reinforced multiple arch dam
, designed by John S. Eastwood
and constructed in 1908 by the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company. During lumber operations, the lake stored logs for an adjacent mill and supplied water for a flume used to transport the cut lumber to Sanger, California
.
Since the cessation of logging in 1924, Hume Lake's identity has shifted from being an industrial implement to a recreational resource.
In 1878, Congress passed the Timber and Stone Act
to encourage private ownership of timber land and facilitate logging. At this time in American history, resources such as timber were largely viewed as unlimited resources that could best be used for commercial gain and economic growth. Despite a growing human presence in other regions of California, the Sierra Nevada was still a relatively uncharted and virgin land up until the late 1860s due to its formidable and rugged terrain. The Timber and Stone Act facilitated commercial exploitation of these mountain areas, requiring a modest fee and filing in order to transfer complete and unrestrained ownership of federal land to any individual. Tracts were sold in 160 acres (64.7 ha) parcels to applicants, who at most times were illegally recruited and paid by corporate interests to file claims then transfer their ownership to lumber companies. As a result of this practice, large tracts of old growth forest passed from the federal government to lumber companies in relatively short order during the late 19th century.
Hiram Smith and Austin Moore formed the Kings River Lumber Company on April 24, 1888, to take advantage of the commercial opportunities presented by the stands of timber in the Kings River Watershed. The Kings River Lumber Company acquired almost 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) in the area just north of General Grant Grove, including stands of timber near the present location of Hume Lake. These 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) also contained the infamous Converse Basin
, where Smith and Moore oversaw the feverish and almost complete destruction of arguably the largest giant sequoia grove, and its thousands of thousand-year-old giant sequoias. Despite the amount of pristine uncut old growth available when logging began, the Kings River Lumber Company was unable to ever recover much, if any, profit due to the cost of logging such large and isolated timber.
Out of this failure arose an opportunity for Thomas Hume and fellow timber entrepreneur Ira Bennett. These Michigan lumbermen sought to expand to the West Coast by purchasing Smith and Moore's 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) tract. In 1905, the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company purchased the tract and its milling facilities, but found little uncut lumber in the vicinity to justify the mill's location in Converse Basin.
filled with water from the reservoir.
To create this reservoir, John S. Eastwood
was hired in 1908 to construct a dam at Long Meadow. Eastwood proposed constructing the world's first reinforced concrete multiple arch dam. Although unprecedented, at a cost of approximately $46,000, the dam's design was a less expensive alternative to a conventional rock fill dam that would have cost about twice as much to construct. The dam was completed in only 114 days, by the end of 1909, along with a mill immediately adjacent to the dam. Logs were dumped into the reservoir by rail and floated to the dam where they were drawn up into the mill, cut and then dried in kilns next to the mill on the west bank of Tenmile Creek. From this location, lumber was floated to Sanger, California
, in a flume filled with water from the reservoir. The flume was the longest ever created, eventually stretching 73 miles (117.5 km) from Hume Lake to Sanger. Designed and built by James Carroll Goss, the flume was used by both the lumber company and tourists. Thrill seeking tourists would occasionally ride in the flume down from the Sierras in special boats designed with an open prow so that water would help keep the boats from flying off into the air. The flume was also reputedly utilized by the murderous bandits Chris Evans and the Sontag brothers, who hid along the flume to evade capture.
The dam and reservoir survive today little changed from their original appearance in 1908. The dam stands 61 feet (18.6 m) in height and extends 667 feet (203.3 m) in length, composed of twelve 50 feet (15.2 m) arches that rest on buttresses supported by granite bedrock. The height was set at 61 feet (18.6 m) because of a tract of land not owned by Hume-Bennet along the reservoir's edge that would have been inundated by water if the dam had been built any higher. The water level was maintained at a level slightly lower than it typically is today, through the use of 5 by 8 ft (1.5 by 2.4 m) spillway openings in the dam structure, which have since been filled.
purchased the entire operation and its holdings, including the dam and forest surrounding Hume Lake, incorporating it into the Sequoia National Forest
.
Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boundaries of the forest....
of Fresno County, California
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
, adjacent to the unincorporated community of Hume
Hume, Fresno County, California
Hume is an unincorporated community in Fresno County, California. It is located east of Fresno, at an elevation of 5344 feet . Hume is located in the 93628 ZIP Code, in area code 559....
. It is on Tenmile Creek, which flows into the Kings River. The surface elevation of the lake is 1585 m (5,200.1 ft). It is accessible from California Route 180, via Forest Service road 30, and is about 50 mi (80.5 km) east of Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, not far from the west entrance to Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park is a National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. The park was established in 1940 and covers...
.
The 87 acres (35.2 ha) lake lies behind the world's first concrete reinforced multiple arch dam
Arch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes...
, designed by John S. Eastwood
John S. Eastwood
John S. Eastwood was an American engineer who built the world's first reinforced concrete multiple-arch dam on bedrock foundation at Hume Lake, California, in 1908. Mr...
and constructed in 1908 by the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company. During lumber operations, the lake stored logs for an adjacent mill and supplied water for a flume used to transport the cut lumber to Sanger, California
Sanger, California
Sanger is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 24,270 at the 2010 census, up from 18,731 at the 2000 census. Sanger is located east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 371 feet .- Geography :...
.
Since the cessation of logging in 1924, Hume Lake's identity has shifted from being an industrial implement to a recreational resource.
Early logging in the Kings River Watershed
Hume Lake is found in the Kings River Watershed, a region of the Sierra Nevada mountains replete with vast stands of timber. Hume Lake owes its existence to the loggers who sought to exploit the rich timber resources throughout the southern Sierras.In 1878, Congress passed the Timber and Stone Act
Timber and Stone Act
The Timber and Stone Act of 1878 in the United States sold Western timberland for $2.50 per acre in 160 acre blocks....
to encourage private ownership of timber land and facilitate logging. At this time in American history, resources such as timber were largely viewed as unlimited resources that could best be used for commercial gain and economic growth. Despite a growing human presence in other regions of California, the Sierra Nevada was still a relatively uncharted and virgin land up until the late 1860s due to its formidable and rugged terrain. The Timber and Stone Act facilitated commercial exploitation of these mountain areas, requiring a modest fee and filing in order to transfer complete and unrestrained ownership of federal land to any individual. Tracts were sold in 160 acres (64.7 ha) parcels to applicants, who at most times were illegally recruited and paid by corporate interests to file claims then transfer their ownership to lumber companies. As a result of this practice, large tracts of old growth forest passed from the federal government to lumber companies in relatively short order during the late 19th century.
Hiram Smith and Austin Moore formed the Kings River Lumber Company on April 24, 1888, to take advantage of the commercial opportunities presented by the stands of timber in the Kings River Watershed. The Kings River Lumber Company acquired almost 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) in the area just north of General Grant Grove, including stands of timber near the present location of Hume Lake. These 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) also contained the infamous Converse Basin
Converse Basin
Converse Basin is a grove of giant sequoia trees located in the Sequoia National Forest in the Sierra Nevada in eastern California. The grove is situated 5 miles north of General Grant Grove, just outside of Kings Canyon National Park. It includes the Boole Tree, the sixth-largest tree in the...
, where Smith and Moore oversaw the feverish and almost complete destruction of arguably the largest giant sequoia grove, and its thousands of thousand-year-old giant sequoias. Despite the amount of pristine uncut old growth available when logging began, the Kings River Lumber Company was unable to ever recover much, if any, profit due to the cost of logging such large and isolated timber.
Out of this failure arose an opportunity for Thomas Hume and fellow timber entrepreneur Ira Bennett. These Michigan lumbermen sought to expand to the West Coast by purchasing Smith and Moore's 30000 acres (12,140.6 ha) tract. In 1905, the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company purchased the tract and its milling facilities, but found little uncut lumber in the vicinity to justify the mill's location in Converse Basin.
Formation of Hume Lake
Due to the exhausted forests surrounding the mill in Converse Basin, the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company sought a new location for its facilities closer to uncut stands of timber. This meant that the company would have to move deeper into the mountains. Tenmile Creek was the next tributary of the Kings River, 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Converse Basin. The creek flowed through an area known as Long Meadow. This location was promising for the company because it could be converted into a reservoir that would serve two functions for the company. First, it would provide storage for logs cut from surrounding virgin groves. From this body of water, floating logs could be drawn into an adjacent mill to be cut. Second, the rough cut lumber could then be transported out of the mountains in a flumeFlume
A flume is an open artificial water channel, in the form of a gravity chute, that leads water from a diversion dam or weir completely aside a natural flow. Often, the flume is an elevated box structure that follows the natural contours of the land. These have been extensively used in hydraulic...
filled with water from the reservoir.
To create this reservoir, John S. Eastwood
John S. Eastwood
John S. Eastwood was an American engineer who built the world's first reinforced concrete multiple-arch dam on bedrock foundation at Hume Lake, California, in 1908. Mr...
was hired in 1908 to construct a dam at Long Meadow. Eastwood proposed constructing the world's first reinforced concrete multiple arch dam. Although unprecedented, at a cost of approximately $46,000, the dam's design was a less expensive alternative to a conventional rock fill dam that would have cost about twice as much to construct. The dam was completed in only 114 days, by the end of 1909, along with a mill immediately adjacent to the dam. Logs were dumped into the reservoir by rail and floated to the dam where they were drawn up into the mill, cut and then dried in kilns next to the mill on the west bank of Tenmile Creek. From this location, lumber was floated to Sanger, California
Sanger, California
Sanger is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 24,270 at the 2010 census, up from 18,731 at the 2000 census. Sanger is located east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 371 feet .- Geography :...
, in a flume filled with water from the reservoir. The flume was the longest ever created, eventually stretching 73 miles (117.5 km) from Hume Lake to Sanger. Designed and built by James Carroll Goss, the flume was used by both the lumber company and tourists. Thrill seeking tourists would occasionally ride in the flume down from the Sierras in special boats designed with an open prow so that water would help keep the boats from flying off into the air. The flume was also reputedly utilized by the murderous bandits Chris Evans and the Sontag brothers, who hid along the flume to evade capture.
The dam and reservoir survive today little changed from their original appearance in 1908. The dam stands 61 feet (18.6 m) in height and extends 667 feet (203.3 m) in length, composed of twelve 50 feet (15.2 m) arches that rest on buttresses supported by granite bedrock. The height was set at 61 feet (18.6 m) because of a tract of land not owned by Hume-Bennet along the reservoir's edge that would have been inundated by water if the dam had been built any higher. The water level was maintained at a level slightly lower than it typically is today, through the use of 5 by 8 ft (1.5 by 2.4 m) spillway openings in the dam structure, which have since been filled.
The end of logging at Hume Lake
Hume-Bennett thoroughly harvested the forests surrounding Hume Lake following completion of the dam, but paltry profits and a devastating fire in 1917 led to the end of logging operations. The fire completely destroyed the mill and surrounding facilities, with all logging ceasing by 1924. On April 8, 1935, the United States Forest ServiceUnited States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
purchased the entire operation and its holdings, including the dam and forest surrounding Hume Lake, incorporating it into the Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains of California. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boundaries of the forest....
.
Current use
Since its purchase by the Forest Service, Hume Lake has become a popular destination, providing a variety of recreational opportunities:- Camping at a United States Forest Service campground on the northern shore of the lake. The facility consists of 74 sites among four separate sections located at varying distances from the lake shore.
- Hume Lake Christian Camps is the largest facility at the lake, which traces its origins to 1945, when the founders met in the nearby valley town of Dinuba to discuss plans for a Christian Bible camp. On January 9, 1946, 320 acres (129.5 ha) of lake shore property were purchased to create the camp, including the Hume Lake Hotel, store, service station, post office, 22 cottages, and 22 boats. Soon thereafter, in the summer of 1946, 670 campers and 15 volunteer staff attended conferences at Hume Lake. Since that first summer in 1946, more than 1,000,000 young people and adults have attended the camp for worship, religious studies, and recreation. Activities at the camps include: swimming, disc golfDisc golfDisc golf is a disc game in which individual players throw a flying disc into a basket or at a target. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association, "The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc." Of the more than 3000...
, boatingBoatingBoating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, hikingHikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, biking, paint balling, high ropes courseRopes courseA ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or only a few feet above the ground...
, climbing wallClimbing wallA climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
, and a number of recreational games such as Kajabe Kan Kan. Facilities include a dining hall, clothing company, a snack shop, two coffee shops, the Froso (a carnival-themed restaurant), a post office, a gift shop, a recording studio, swimming pool, beach access with row boat and kayak rentals, several lodges, a security booth, and public washing machines. - Cabins available for private rental
- Boating (non-motorized)
- Fishing The main fishing at Hume Lake consists of trout,
- Hiking
- Swimming and related beach activities