Almaden Reservoir, reservoir in Santa Clara County, California
Almaden Reservoir is a man-made lake in the hills south of San Jose created by a dam built across Alamitos Creek. The earthen dam is about 110 feet (33 meters) high, and the water eventually flows through Guadalupe River toward San Francisco Bay.
The reservoir was built in 1936 and is one of the original dams in Santa Clara County, with six from that era still operating today. After 2000 a project began to improve the dam, which was later paused due to safety inspections and upgrades at other dams in the region.
The name Almaden comes from the region's past with mercury mining, when the nearby community was called New Almaden. The reservoir sits beside a large park and is used by visitors who come to experience the quiet surroundings and natural setting.
The site is accessible for walking with trails running through nearby hills and the adjacent Almaden Quicksilver County Park covering thousands of acres. Swimming and boating are not permitted, but visitors can hike, ride horses, or fish with a catch-and-release practice for all fish.
The water contains elevated mercury levels, which is why authorities warn against eating fish caught here. This contamination is connected to the historical mercury mining activity in the nearby New Almaden area and serves as a reminder of the site's industrial past.
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