Canyon Lake, body of water

Canyon Lake, also called Railroad Canyon Reservoir, is a reservoir in the Temescal Mountains of southwestern Riverside County, formed by the Railroad Canyon Dam in Railroad Canyon. It covers about 525 acres, has 14.9 miles of shoreline and an average depth of 20 feet, and is fed by storm runoff from the San Jacinto River and Salt Creek. The city of Canyon Lake, a gated community, surrounds it.

Construction of the Railroad Canyon Dam began in 1928 in Railroad Canyon, and the entire facility was completed in 1929, creating the reservoir also known as Railroad Canyon Reservoir. It is owned and operated by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, and its water supplies the Canyon Lake Water Treatment Plant.

The reservoir is also called Railroad Canyon Reservoir, after the canyon in the Temescal Mountains where the dam was built. The city of Canyon Lake around it is a gated community where residents drive golf carts and boats inside the gates. Residents hold annual events such as Taco Tuesday in summer and festivities on various holidays.

Canyon Lake is owned and operated by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, and its water feeds the Canyon Lake Water Treatment Plant, which supplies about 10% of the domestic water for the Lake Elsinore and Canyon Lake area. The reservoir is fed by storm water runoff from the San Jacinto River and Salt Creek, and excess water is returned to the San Jacinto River. Catch and release fishing is strictly enforced.

Canyon Lake holds 11,586 acre-feet (14,291,000 m3) of water and drains a 1,720 km2 watershed, yet its average depth is only about 20 feet (6.1 m). Catch-and-release fishing is strictly enforced on the reservoir. The city beside it is a gated community where residents may drive golf carts.