Lake Skinner is a large reservoir in western Riverside County, California

Riverside County, California

Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...

, located at the foot of Bachelor Mountain in the Auld Valley, approximately 10 miles (15 km) northeast of Temecula

Temecula, California

Temecula is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, United States with a population of 100,097 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it the lowest populated American city over 100,000 population. It was incorporated on December 1, 1989...

. It was created in 1973 by the construction of the Skinner Clearwell Dam (expanded 1991), and currently has a capacity of 44200 acre.ft.
The address of Lake Skinner is:
37701 Warren Road
Off Rancho California Road, 10 miles east of Temecula
Temecula, CA 92593

Lake Skinner is operated by the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District (RivCo Parks)

Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District (RivCo Parks)

The Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District is a special district operating in Riverside County, California. The District’s focus encompasses providing high-quality recreational opportunities and preserving important features of the County’s Natural, Cultural and Historical...

, under lease by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the largest supplier of treated water in the US. The name is usually shortened to the "Metropolitan Water District" or simply "MWD". It is a cooperative of 14 cities and 12 municipal water districts that indirectly provides water to 18...

. It is supplied by the Colorado River Aqueduct

Colorado River Aqueduct

The Colorado River Aqueduct, or CRA, is a water conveyance in Southern California in the United States, operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California . The aqueduct impounds water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu on the California-Arizona border west across the Mojave...

 and the State Water Project, and feeds the Robert A. Skinner filtration plant, which provides treated water to 2.5 million people in Riverside and San Diego

San Diego County, California

San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...

 Counties. It is named after Robert A. Skinner, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District from 1962 to 1967, who was instrumental in negotiating Metropolitan's contract with the California Department of Water Resources

California Department of Water Resources

The California Department of Water Resources , is a department within the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Water Resources is responsible for the State of California's management and regulation of water usage...

 for delivery of water from Northern California.

Lake Skinner is a popular recreation area, featuring sailing, fishing, swimming (in an off-reservoir swimming area), horseback riding and hiking. The Lake Skinner recreational area includes 1,400 acres (5.7 km²) of surface water and 300 acres (1.2 km²) of lakeside parkland, features 158 RV sites and 300 developed campsites, and is the site of the annual Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival and the Solar Cup

Solar Cup

The Solar Cup is a eco-boating competition in Temecula, California. Paid for by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and taking place on Lake Skinner, the competition revolves around high school teams constructing solar powered electric boats...

competition.