Lake Mathews

Reservoir

The Lake Mathews is a large reservoir in Riverside County in the U.S. state of California. The lake is located in the Cajalco Valley and is part of the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. In the Lake Mathews, the Colorado River Aqueduct opens.

The reservoir was created by the construction of a dam at the northern end of the basin. Two smaller dams in the form of dikes were built in 1961 during the expansion of the lake to increase the volume of water.

Geography

The Lake Mathews is a member of a community free area in Riverside County in California. It is located southeast of Lake Hills, a suburb of Riverside and north-west of the same census-designated place Lake Mathews. The reservoir is surrounded by several streets that are frequently used by commuters as shortcuts between Interstate 15 and Interstate 215 and California State Route 91.

The Lake Mathews is fed from the Colorado River Aqueduct, which transports water from the Colorado River Reservoir Lake Havasu far. The aqueduct is one of the main sources of water for Southern California.

History

Originally called the dam reservoir Cajalco and was later named after WB Mathews, a lawyer, who was a key figure in the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest drinking water provider in the U.S.. In 1933 started the construction of the lake, at the same time, the Colorado River Aqueduct was built. The selected country had previously been used for tin mines and as acreage for carob trees. Lawrence Holmes, Sr., owned 1100 acres of land, which were located in the territory of the future lake. After a long legal battle he had to give up his lands.

1939, the dam and the intake structure were completed. The first water from the Colorado River, in February 1940, the aqueduct, which supplies were delivered from 1941. Capacity of Lake Mathews in 1961 almost doubled to its current capacity of 240 million m³.

Mid-2000s, a major project was undertaken to refurbish the old output storm and at the same time to build a new one that should alternate future. Reason for the renovations was the vulnerability to earthquakes, because many of the gigantic valves had become unusable over time. To ensure that no negative impact on the water supply could be put in the work, a cofferdam was built. With huge concrete tunnels including the new tower with the existing water plant was connected.

Nature

The Lake Mathews is surrounded by approximately 4000 ha protected land. In 1982 it was declared a national nature reserve. After the discovery of the endangered Stephens kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys stephensi ) in the area around the reservoir were added in the early 1990s further 9000 ha. Officially, the reserve now Lake Mathews Estelle Mountain Reserve.

Especially in the winter months, Lake Mathews is an important resting and feeding place for birds. In addition to a variety of ducks protected area in winter ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is used by Ohrenscharben (Phalacrocorax auritus ), Race divers ( Aechmophorus occidentalis), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos ) and bald eagles.

Impact on the Santa Ana River

The Lake Mathews was built in a basin that previously the Cajalco Creek had flowed through, now the water of the stream that is flowing into the reservoir inside. The Cajalco Creek is a tributary to the Santa Ana River. In 2003 it was found by the California State Water Resources Control Board, that the flood of Cajalco Creek by the Beteieber of the reservoir, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, is a violation of the state water law. In an out of court settlement the company to control the entry of the water from Cajalco Creek into the reservoir committed. Furthermore, paid $ 50,000 in damages. With the money the unhomely giant reed ( Arundo donax ) was removed from the river reaches of the Santa Ana River.

Controversy over the use as a recreation area

Since its inauguration in 1940, the Lake Mathews is locked and not accessible to the public, presumably to protect the water quality. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is to protect the water very careful and forbade sport accessible with direct contact with water, such as swimming in Lake Mathews, but also in other nearby reservoirs such as the Skinner reservoir and the Diamond Valley Lake, which, however, at least as recreational areas are. However, the waters of Lake Mathews drains directly into pipelines that serve more than 8.2 million people with water agencies, which is why maintaining the cleanliness of the utmost importance. Proponents of the use as a recreation area counter this, the water quality can not be significantly affected by the dam release to the public.

Another argument of the opponents of the use as a recreation area is that around the lake growing sage is to be obtained in the protected area.

Since its creation, many attempts have been made to make Lake Mathews for various purposes to access; but so far all have failed. One of the most interesting was a 1952 request for the shooting of the film Fair Wind to Java. Among other things, it was planned to install a smoking volcano on one of the islands in Lake Mathews. After the proposal was rejected, the scenes in the studio had to be shot.

1960 called the Riverside County Board of Supervisors a campaign to which had the goal for recreational purposes the lake to use, but ultimately failed.

On 14 February 2012 presented Kevin Jeffries, a deputy in the California State Assembly, a bill that would have limited the Lake Mathews opened as a recreation area, similar to other reservoirs of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The minimum requirement was to release the protected area for hiking. The draft was withdrawn on March 20, 2012, after it was found that lengthy and expensive legal battles with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California would have been required to pass the law.

• Lake in North America
• Lake in California
• Reservoir in the United States
• Reservoir in North America
• River Colorado River system
• Riverside County