French Lake Reservoir

French Lake Reservoir (National ID # CA00247) is a reservoir in Nevada County, California.

French Lake Reservoir
French Lake Reservoir
Location	Nevada County, California, United States
Coordinates	39°25′15″N 120°32′32″W
Built	1859 (1859), reconstructed 1948 (1948)
Max. length	300 feet (91 m)
Surface area	1.36 km2 (0.53 sq mi)
Water volume	Max 17,000,000 m3 (14,000 acre⋅ft)
References	[1]

The earthen, rock-fill French Lake Dam was first constructed in 1859, and is a candidate for the first use of rock-fill in an engineered dam.[1] Reconstructed in 1948, it impounds Canyon Creek for flood control, irrigation water storage, municipal drinking water, and hydropower. The dam is 100 feet (30 m) high, with a length of 300 feet (91 m) at its crest.[2] It is one of ten facilities operated by Nevada Irrigation District.

The reservoir has a surface area of 337 acres (136 ha) and a maximum capacity of 13,800 acre feet (17,000,000 m³). The site is surrounded by Tahoe National Forest. The adjacent namesake townsite of French Lake, California is a ghost town of the California Gold Rush era.