French Lake Reservoir should not be confused with French Meadows Reservoir.
| French Lake Reservoir | |
| Location: | Nevada County, California, United States |
| Coordinates: | 39.4207°N -120.5422°W |
| Date-Built: | , reconstructed |
| Area: | 1.36km2 |
| Volume: | Max 17000000m2 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA California |
French Lake Reservoir (National ID # CA00247) is a reservoir in Nevada County, California.
The earthen, rock-fill French Lake Dam was first constructed in 1859, and is a candidate for the first use of rock-fill in an engineered dam.[1] Reconstructed in 1948, it impounds Canyon Creek for flood control, irrigation water storage, municipal drinking water, and hydropower. The dam is high, with a length of at its crest.[2] It is one of ten facilities operated by Nevada Irrigation District.
French Lake Reservoir has a surface area of and a maximum capacity of . The site is surrounded by Tahoe National Forest. The adjacent namesake townsite of French Lake, California is a ghost town of the California Gold Rush era.