| Lake Havasu | |
|---|---|
 View of the lake fromParker Dam | |
  Lake Havasu  Lake Havasu | |
| Location | Arizona,California |
| Coordinates | 34°29′N114°23′W / 34.483°N 114.383°W /34.483; -114.383 |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Colorado River |
| Primary outflows | Colorado River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 26.3 miles (42.3 km) |
| Max. width | 2.85 miles (4.59 km) |
| Surface area | 19,300 acres (7,800 ha) |
| Average depth | 35 ft (11 m) |
| Max. depth | 90 ft (27 m) |
| Surface elevation | 448 ft (137 m) |
| Islands | 1 |
| Settlements | Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
Lake Havasu (/ˈhɑːvəsuː/) is a largereservoir formed byParker Dam on theColorado River, on the border betweenSan Bernardino County, California, andMohave County, Arizona.Lake Havasu City sits on the Arizonan side of the lake with its Californian counterpart ofHavasu Lake directly across the lake. The reservoir has an available capacity of 619,400 acre-feet (0.7640 km3). The concretearch dam was built by theUnited States Bureau of Reclamation between 1934 and 1938. The lake's primary purpose is to store water for pumping into twoaqueducts. Prior to the dam construction, the area was home to theMojave people. The lake was named (in 1939) after theMojave word forblue.[1] In the early 19th century, it was frequented by beaver trappers.[citation needed] Spaniards also began to mine the areas along the river.[citation needed]
Mark Wilmer Pumping Plant pumps water into theCentral Arizona Project Aqueduct. Whitsett Pumping Plant is located on the lake, and lifts the water 291 feet (89 m) for theColorado River Aqueduct. Gene Pumping Plant, south of Gene Wash Reservoir, is west-southwest of Parker Dam and gives the water an additional boost of 303 feet (92 m). The Colorado River Aqueduct has three more pumping plants: Iron Mountain (144 feet (44 m)), Eagle Mountain (438 feet (134 m)), and Julian Hinds (441 feet (134 m)). The total lift is 1,617 feet (493 m).[citation needed]
The shorelines are in theecotone (transition zone) of the higherMojave Desert to the lowerSonoran Desert and its CalifornianColorado Desertecoregions.[citation needed]
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is located at the upper end and upriver.Lake Havasu State Park is along the eastern shore in Arizona. TheBill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge extends southeastward up theriparian zone of theBill Williams River canyon from the southeastern end of the reservoir and dam.[citation needed]
Lake Havasu is well known for its recreational fishing and boating, which bring in about a million visitors a year.[2] Fishing tournaments are often held on the lake, wherebass are the main catch.[citation needed]
Fish list :Largemouth bass,smallmouth bass,striped bass,carp,channel catfish,flathead catfish,crappie,razorback sucker,sunfish, andredear sunfish.[citation needed]
White sturgeon were stocked in Lake Havasu in 1967 and 1968 from stock obtained from San Pablo Bay, California. While some dead sturgeon were found downstream from Havasu (probably killed during passage over dams), living fish have not been recorded, but may still exist along the southern end of Lake Havasu near Parker Dam.[3]
TheCalifornia Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eatingadvisory for Lake Havasu based on levels of mercury found in fish caught from this water body.[4]
The Bureau of Land Management operates 73 campsites on the eastern shore of Lake Havasu.Arizona State Parks operatesLake Havasu State Park andCattail Cove State Park on the eastern shore of the lake. The northern part of the lake is included in theHavasu National Wildlife Refuge.
Havasu Springs Resort, a BLM concession, operates on the south edge of Lake Havasu.[5] Black Meadow Landing, another BLM concession, operates on the wast bank of the lake.[6]
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