Millerton Lake
Encyclopedia
Millerton Lake is an artificial lake near the town of Friant
about 15 mi (24.1 km) north of downtown Fresno
. The reservoir was created by the construction of Friant Dam
on the San Joaquin River
which with the lake serves as much of the county line between Fresno County
to the south and Madera County
to the north.
Part of the Central Valley Project
, the dam
was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation
and was completed in 1942. The lake stores water for irrigation
, which is distributed by the Madera
and Friant-Kern
Canals to the San Joaquin Valley
. It has a capacity of 520528 acre.ft.
Secondary uses include flood
control and recreation, including swimming, fishing
, water skiing
and camping
. A 25 MW hydroelectric plant operated by the Friant Power Authority produces electricity
from large releases and two smaller plants use water released for a fish hatchery
and to maintain minimum-flow in the river.
Prior to the construction of Friant Dam, the current lake bed was the site of the town of Millerton
, the first county seat of Fresno County.
Friant, California
Friant is a census-designated place in Fresno County, California, United States. The population was 549 at the 2010 census, down from 778 at the 2000 census. Friant is located north of Clovis, at an elevation of 344 feet .-Geography:Friant is located at...
about 15 mi (24.1 km) north of downtown 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...
. The reservoir was created by the construction of Friant Dam
Friant Dam
Friant Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the upper San Joaquin River in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Fresno County and Madera County near the town of Friant. The dam, completed in 1942, forms Millerton Lake and was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns and operates the dam. The lake...
on the San Joaquin River
San Joaquin River
The San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California in the United States. At over long, the river starts in the high Sierra Nevada, and flows through a rich agricultural region known as the San Joaquin Valley before reaching Suisun Bay, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean...
which with the lake serves as much of the county line between Fresno County
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...
to the south and Madera County
Madera County, California
Madera County is a county of the U.S. state of California, located in the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada north of Fresno County. It comprises the Madera-Chowchilla, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census the population was 150,865...
to the north.
Part of the Central Valley Project
Central Valley Project
The Central Valley Project is a Bureau of Reclamation federal water project in the U.S. state of California. It was devised in 1933 in order to provide irrigation and municipal water to much of California's Central Valley—by regulating and storing water in reservoirs in the water-rich northern...
, the dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
was built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The United States Bureau of Reclamation , and formerly the United States Reclamation Service , is an agency under the U.S...
and was completed in 1942. The lake stores water for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, which is distributed by the Madera
Madera Canal
The Madera Canal is a aqueduct in the U.S. state of California. It is part of the Central Valley Project managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to convey water north to augment irrigation capacity in Madera County, California. It was also the subject of the United States Supreme...
and Friant-Kern
Friant-Kern Canal
The Friant-Kern Canal is a Central Valley Project aqueduct managed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation in Central California to convey water to augment irrigation capacity in Fresno, Tulare, and Kern counties....
Canals to the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
. It has a capacity of 520528 acre.ft.
Secondary uses include flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
control and recreation, including swimming, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
and camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
. A 25 MW hydroelectric plant operated by the Friant Power Authority produces electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
from large releases and two smaller plants use water released for a fish hatchery
Hatchery
A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish or poultry. It may be used for ex-situ conservation purposes, i.e. to breed rare or endangered species under controlled conditions; alternatively, it may be for economic reasons A hatchery is a...
and to maintain minimum-flow in the river.
Prior to the construction of Friant Dam, the current lake bed was the site of the town of Millerton
Millerton, Madera County, California
Millerton was the original county seat of Fresno County, formed in 1856. The county was much larger than it is today, comprising its current area plus all of what became Madera County and parts of what are now San Benito, Tulare, Kings, Inyo, and Mono counties.Millerton, then on the banks of the...
, the first county seat of Fresno County.