Fountaingrove Lake, reservoir in Santa Rosa, California

Fountaingrove Lake is a small reservoir in Santa Rosa created by a dam built across Piner Creek. The body of water spans about 33 acres and sits within a hilly landscape surrounded by oak trees and wetland areas that support local wildlife.

The lake was created in the 1950s when an earthen dam was constructed to manage water supply for the area. Decades later in the 1980s, a private golf course was built nearby, which further developed the landscape around the water.

The Fountaingrove Club, a private country club, opened a championship 18-hole golf course centred on the lake in 1985, designed by Ted Robinson Sr. The city of Santa Rosa owns the dam and half the lake as Nagasawa Community Park. Fishing was once practised here, though development around the shoreline has reduced it.

The lake is easy to access and offers shoreline paths for walking and observing birds and wildlife. Water levels vary seasonally, sometimes rising after heavy rain or receding during dry months, which changes the appearance of the area with each visit.

The Western pond turtle, Actinemys marmorata, lives here and is listed as a Species of Special Concern. The lake also holds dense wetland plants at its verges, and native Coast live oak and Garry oak grow on the surrounding uplands. Fishing was once common but has declined as the golf course and housing around the shore expanded.