| Whiskeytown Lake Schuyler | |
|---|---|
| Location | Shasta County, California |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Clear Creek |
| Primary outflows | Clear Creek |
| Catchment area | 203 sq mi (530 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 3,458 acres (1,399 ha) |
Whiskeytown Lake is a lake in Shasta County in northwestern California, about 8 miles (13 km) west of Redding. The lake is in the Whiskeytown Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. It has a capacity of 241,100 acre feet (297,400,000 m3) and is formed by Whiskeytown Dam on Clear Creek. Additional water comes from Lewiston Reservoir, supplied by the Trinity River, by the Clear Creek Tunnel, which comes from the bottom of Trinity Lake. There are also recreational activities available at the lake, including camping, swimming, boating, water skiing and fishing. However, personal water craft have been banned from the lake. Fishing opportunities include rainbow and brown trout; largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass; and kokanee salmon.
Whiskeytown is favored by locals because of the 30-foot (9.1 m) visibility of its waters, and wildlife that surround the lake. There are numerous breeding pairs of bald eagles that nest on the lake's shores. Sharing the habitat are black bears, mountain lions, blacktail deer, turtles and raccoons, among other wildlife. It is mandated that the lake be at full capacity by Memorial Day, and remain full until Labor Day.
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The earth-fill dam is 263 feet (80 m) tall and was completed in 1963. It is owned and operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Its purpose is to provide flood control, water for irrigation and electricity generation.
Before entering the lake, the water generates hydroelectricity at the 154 MW Judge Francis Carr Powerhouse. Whiskey Creek also empties into the lake. A large portion of the lake's water leaves through the Spring Creek Tunnel, which delivers the water to the 180-MW Spring Creek Powerhouse, whose tailrace empties into Keswick Reservoir. The 117-MW Keswick Powerhouse at Keswick Dam empties into the Sacramento River.
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