Stevens Creek Reservoir

Stevens Creek Reservoir is an artificial lake located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains near Cupertino, California. A 1,063-acre (430 ha) county park surrounds the reservoir[1] and provides limited fishing[2][3] ("catch and release"), picnicking, hiking, and horseback riding activities. Although swimming is not allowed,[4] non-power boating (such as a kayak) is allowed. No powered boats or jet skis are allowed.[1]

Stevens Creek Reservoir
View from Zinfandel Trail, June 2008
Stevens Creek Reservoir
Stevens Creek Reservoir
LocationSanta Clara County, California
Coordinates37.29399°N 122.07986°W / 37.29399; -122.07986
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsStevens Creek
Primary outflowsStevens Creek
Catchment area17.5 sq mi (45 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Managing agencySanta Clara Valley Water District
Surface area8,692 acres (3,518 ha)
Water volume3,138 acre⋅ft (3,871,000 m3)
Settlementsnone

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a safe eating advisory for any fish caught in Sevens Creek Reservoir due to elevated levels of mercury.[5]

History

The reservoir was formed by the Stevens Creek Dam, built in 1935 across Stevens Creek.[6] It is one of the smaller reservoirs owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District.[7]

Originally named Arroyo de San José Cupertino, Stevens Creek flows into the reservoir and out of the dam to San Francisco Bay. Stevens Creek and the reservoir are named after Captain Elijah Stephens who led the first wagon train across the Sierra Nevada in 1844 and settled in Cupertino.[6]

Stevens Creek Dam

Stevens Creek Dam is an earthen dam 132 feet (40 m) high and 1,080 feet (330 m) long. Its crest is 554 feet (169 m) above sea level. In 1985, the dam's height was raised 10 feet (3.0 m) to its present height with the addition of 231,000 cubic yards (177,000 m3) of material.[8]

Stevens Creek County Park

Stevens Creek County Park[1] is one of 28 Santa Clara County Parks.[9] The 1,063-acre (430 ha) park surrounds the reservoir, with the Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve adjacent to its east on the Montebello Ridge (also known as Black Mountain). An entrance to the park lies three miles from Interstate 280. Six miles of trails connect with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District's Fremont Older Open Space Preserve.

Fishing

Bluegill, Koi, Asian Carp, Largemouth Bass, Crappie and other species of fish live in the reservoir.[1] It can be fished only with a permit unless under the age of 16.[10] However it is strictly catch and release because of problems with the concentration of mercury and PCBs in the water.[3][11]

See also

References
  1. "Stevens Creek County Park. Parks and Recreation". County of Santa Clara. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  2. "Santa Clara County Parks: Fishing Guidelines". County of Santa Clara. Retrieved 2017-07-02. Mercury has been found to accumulate in Almaden, Calero, Guadalupe, Anderson and Stevens Creek Reservoirs at levels that make the fish unsafe to eat.
  3. Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department. "Mercury and PCBs Found In County Reservoirs". Retrieved 2017-07-05. ... fish sampled from Anderson and Stevens Creek reservoirs-as well as from eight other reservoirs in the Bay Area-exceeded human health guidelines for methylmercury, an organic form of mercury, and for polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, a group of industrial chemicals.
  4. "Santa Clara County Parks: Swimming Restrictions". County of Santa Clara. Retrieved 2017-07-05. Swimming or wading is NOT permitted in County Parks.
  5. Admin, OEHHA (2009-03-18). "Stevens Creek Reservoir". OEHHA. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  6. "Stevens Creek Reservoir". Santa Clara Valley Water District. 2002. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  7. "Santa Clara Valley Water District: List of Reservoirs". Retrieved 2017-07-03.
  8. "Listing of Jurisdictional Dams in California" (PDF). California Department of Water Resources. Retrieved 2017-07-03.
  9. "Welcome to all 28 wild and wonderful parks of Santa Clara County. Parks and Recreation". County of Santa Clara. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  10. "Sport Fishing Licenses and Report Cards". California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 2017-07-05. Every person must have the appropriate report card(s) in possession while fishing; including those who are not required to have a sport fishing license, such as individuals under 16 years of age, persons fishing or diving on free fishing days, and anglers fishing from a public pier in ocean waters.
  11. "California Fish Advisory Map". OEHHA. Retrieved 2018-06-13.


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