French Lake Reservoir, reservoir in Nevada County, California, United States
French Lake Reservoir is a man-made lake in Nevada County created by a dam built across Canyon Creek in the Sierra Nevada. The concrete and rock structure stands approximately 100 feet tall and can hold nearly 14,000 acre-feet of water when full.
The dam was first built in 1859 and raised in 1948, making it one of the earliest stone and earth dam constructions in the region. It was created during the era when miners and loggers were actively working throughout the Sierra Nevada.
The site sits at high elevation above 6,600 feet and accessibility varies with seasons, especially during winter months when snow is present. Visitors should approach with respect for the land, practice leave-no-trace principles, and be prepared for mountain weather conditions.
The dam was an early experiment in using stone and earth as building materials for water barriers, influencing modern dam construction techniques. This 19th-century engineering approach demonstrated that natural materials could effectively store water on a large scale.
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