Lake Kaweah, Reservoir in Tulare County, California.

Lake Kaweah is a reservoir near Lemon Cove in Tulare County, California, formed by Terminus Dam on the Kaweah River, which rises in the Sierra Nevada. Its grey-blue water is bordered by dry tan and brown hills, with rows of floating wooden docks and boat slips near the shore and a concrete boat ramp in the foreground. The reservoir holds 185,000 acre-feet, raised by 21 feet in a project completed in 2004.

Terminus Dam was completed in 1962 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to manage water in California's central valley. The project transformed the Kaweah River into a controlled water supply system for agricultural and flood management purposes.

The name Kaweah comes from the Yokuts word for the river, and the Wukchumni Yokuts lived along its valley long before Terminus Dam. At the upper end of the lake sits Three Rivers, the gateway town to Sequoia National Park, where the river's forks meet.

The lake can be reached via California Highway 198 from Visalia by heading east into the foothills. You'll find camping areas, boat access, and fishing locations around the shoreline, with amenities available at several recreation areas.

During the 1997 floods the reservoir filled and emptied twice, because winter water is released as fast as possible to leave room for floodwater. In 2007, high winds from a severe thunderstorm tore loose the boat dock along the lake, affecting 200 boats.