San Vicente Reservoir, Reservoir in San Diego County, California, US

San Vicente Reservoir is a reservoir in the Cuyamaca Mountains, 4.3 miles north of Lakeside off State Route 67. It is formed by San Vicente Dam, a pale grey concrete wall divided into tall vertical panels, with a concrete intake tower topped by a glazed blue observation cab and a steel-framed shaft holding ladders and gates. The impounded water fills inlets between tan peninsulas and rocky, exposed banks.

The dam was originally built in 1943 to store water for the region. A major project starting in 2009 raised the dam over 100 feet to increase storage capacity by more than 150,000 acre-feet.

The reservoir's name comes from San Vicente Creek, which it impounds; water also arrives from the Colorado River via the First San Diego Aqueduct. Anglers, boaters, waterskiers and wakeboarders use the lake, and the concrete intake tower with its glazed blue observation cab is the landmark to look for on the water.

Entry costs a small fee, and visitors should follow local rules such as no swimming and no dogs in the water. The best time to visit is on warm days when most activities are open and the site is well-maintained.

The reservoir stores water from San Vicente Creek and, via the First San Diego Aqueduct, from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu. Its capacity of 249,358 acre-feet makes it the largest reservoir in the city of San Diego.