Lake Clementine

Coordinates: 38°56′32″N 121°00′46″W / 38.94222°N 121.01278°W / 38.94222; -121.01278[1]

Lake Clementine (also known as North Fork Lake) is a reservoir on the North Fork American River Canyon above the picturesque gold rush era town of Auburn (elev. 1200') in northern California. It was created in 1939 when the North Fork Dam, a 155-foot (47 m) tall variable radius arch dam,[2] was completed by the Army Corps of Engineers for the purpose of containing gold mining debris washing downriver. It is open to boat traffic, a waterskiing and wakeboarding spot during the summer. However, it is possible to quietly enjoy the lake for kayaking, rowing, and fishing. It features steep forested canyon walls and contains several large high quality limestone deposits, one large vertical outcropping of which is known as Robbers Roost, and offers climbing and caving opportunities for the adventurous. A popular hiking, running, and mountain biking trail courses from the dam area, continues downstream below the 730' high Foresthill Bridge, linking Lake Clementine to the North and Middle Forks American River Confluence area below the dam. The trail also connects to a large-network of hiking, running, and mountain biking trail systems stretching eastward into the Sierra Nevada mountain range near Lake Tahoe. Because the dam is designed so that the river flows over its top, a waterfall is created that grows impressively large in winter and spring when rain and snowmelt cause high river flows.

The reservoir holds 14,700 acre feet (18,100,000 m3), and has a crest elevation of 718 feet (219 m)[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "North Fork Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. ↑ "Dams Owned and Operated by Federal Agencies" (PDF). California Department of Water Resources. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  3. ↑ http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1141


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