| Vail Lake | |
| Location: | Riverside County, California |
| Coords: | 33.4911°N -116.9714°W |
| Type: | reservoir |
| Inflow: | Temecula Creek, Kolb Creek, Wilson Creek |
| Outflow: | Temecula Creek |
| Basin Countries: | United States |
| Volume: | 61.5e6m3 |
| Elevation: | 1460 feet (445 m) |
| Pushpin Map: | California#USA |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Vail Lake in California, USA |
| Agency: | Rancho California Water District |
Vail Lake is a large reservoir in western Riverside County, southern California.
It is located on Temecula Creek, in the Butterfield Valley, south of Oak Mountain, of the Black Hills, in the Santa Margarita River watershed. It is approximately 15miles east of Temecula.
Vail Lake covers approximately 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) and has a storage capacity of 51000acre.ft, although it currently contains about 34000acre.ft of water.
Vail Lake is supplied by storm water runoff from Kolb, Temecula, and Wilson Creeks. Surface water stored in the lake is used to help replenish local ground water supplies through recharge operations.[1]
It was created in 1948 when the owners of the Vail Ranch constructed the 132feet high Vail Lake Dam, which has been owned and operated by the Rancho California Water District since 1978.[2]
The property surrounding Vail Lake is privately owned, and recreational access to the lake is privately controlled. The Butterfield Country Recreation Park was established in 1968 to provide public access to the lake and its marina, but the park was closed by its owners in 1989.[2] In 1995, a members-only resort facility was opened at the location of the former park; and in 2000, the area was re-opened to the public on an annual-fee basis. Recreational activities at Vail Lake include fishing, boating, RV, mountain biking, miniature golf and swimming.