| Millerton Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Millerton Lake  Millerton Lake | |
| Location | Sierra Nevada Fresno- /Madera-Counties,California |
| Coordinates | 37°02′33″N119°39′16″W / 37.0425°N 119.6545°W /37.0425; -119.6545 |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | San Joaquin River |
| Primary outflows | Friant-Kern Canal Madera Canal San Joaquin River |
| Catchment area | 1,675 sq mi (4,340 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 4,900 acres (2,000 ha) |
| Max. depth | 319 ft (97 m) |
| Water volume | 520,528 acre⋅ft (0.642062 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 561 ft (171 m) |
| References | U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Millerton Lake |
Millerton Lake is anartificial lake near the town ofFriant, about 15 mi (24 km) north of downtownFresno, California, United States. The reservoir was created by the construction of 319 ft (97 m) highFriant Dam on theSan Joaquin River which, with the lake, serves as much of the county line betweenFresno County to the south andMadera County to the north.
Part of theCentral Valley Project, thedam was built by theUnited States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and was completed in 1942 with the exception of the drum gates being installed in 1947.[1] The lake stores water forirrigation, which is distributed by theMadera andFriant-Kern Canals to theSan Joaquin Valley. It has an instantaneous capacity of 520,528 acre⋅ft (0.642062 km3).
Secondary uses includeflood control and recreation, includingswimming,fishing,water skiing andcamping. A 25 MWhydroelectric plant operated by the Friant Power Authority produceselectricity from large releases and two smaller plants use water released for afish hatchery and to maintain minimum-flow in the river.
Prior to the construction of Friant Dam, the current lake bed was the site of the town ofMillerton, the first county seat of Fresno County.
TheCalifornia Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a safe eating advisory for fish caught in the Millerton Lake due to elevated levels of mercury.[2]
By diverting most of the San Joaquin River for irrigation, the Friant Dam has caused about 60 miles (97 km) of the river to run dry except in high water years when floodwaters are spilled from the dam. The desiccation of the river has caused the degradation of large stretches of riverside habitat and marshes, and has nearly eliminated the historicchinook salmon run that once reached about 15,000 fish each year. Reduction in flows has also increased the concentration of pesticide and fertilizer runoff in the river contributing to pollution that has further impacted aquatic species.[3]
On September 13, 2006, after eighteen years of litigation, environmental groups, fisherman and the USBR reached an agreement on releasing part of the water currently diverted into the irrigation canals into the San Joaquin River in order to help restore the river and its native fish and wildlife. The first water was released on October 2, 2009, at a rate of 185 cubic feet per second (5.2 m3/s).[4] By 2014, these "restoration flows" were scheduled to be increased to 302,000 acre-feet (373,000 dam3) per year, or 417 cubic feet per second (11.8 m3/s), on top of the 117,000 acre-feet (144,000 dam3) that was originally released for agricultural purposes. However, the river restoration project will cause a 12–20% reduction in irrigation water delivered from Friant Dam.[5]
