Lake Thomas A Edison

Lake Thomas A Edison (also known as Thomas A. Edison Lake[1] and Edison Lake) is a reservoir in the Sierra National Forest and in Fresno County, California. It is in the Sierra Nevada, and near the Pacific Crest Trail.

Lake Thomas A Edison
Location of the reservoir in California, USA.
Location of the reservoir in California, USA.
Lake Thomas A Edison
Location of the reservoir in California, USA.
Location of the reservoir in California, USA.
Lake Thomas A Edison
LocationFresno County, California[1]
Coordinates37°22′58″N 118°58′34″W[1]
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsMono Creek, Cold Creek
Primary outflowsMono Creek[2]
Catchment area88 square miles (230 km2)[2]
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length3.5 miles (5.6 km)
Max. width1 mile (1.6 km)
Surface area1,878 acres (760 ha)[2]
Average depth67 feet (20 m)
Water volume125,000 acre-feet (154,000,000 m3)[2]
Shore length113 miles (21 km)[3]
Surface elevation7,648 feet (2,331 m)[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

The reservoir's waters are impounded by Vermilion Valley Dam (National ID CA00441), which was completed in 1954 (1954).[2] The reservoir and dam are part of the Big Creek Hydroelectric Project.

Hydrology

The reservoir discharges into Mono Creek,[2] a tributary of the South Fork San Joaquin River. However, some of its water is diverted to Huntington Lake by means of the Ward Tunnel.[4]

Vermilion Valley Dam
Vermilion Valley Dam
CountryUnited States
LocationFresno County, California
Coordinates37°22′12″N 118°59′14″W
Opening date1954
Owner(s)Southern California Edison
Dam and spillways
Type of damEarthen
ImpoundsMono Creek[2]
Height167 feet (51 m)[2]
Length4,234 feet (1,291 m)[2]
Elevation at crest7,650.5 feet (2,331.9 m)[2]
Width (crest)20 feet (6.1 m)[2]
Dam volume4,200,000 cubic yards (3,200,000 m3)[2]
Reservoir
CreatesLake Thomas A Edison
Total capacity125,000 acre-feet (154,000,000 m3)[2]
Catchment area88 square miles (230 km2)[2]
Maximum length3.5 miles (5.6 km)
Maximum width1 mile (1.6 km)

Vermilion Valley Dam is an earthen dam 4,234 feet (1,291 m) long and 167 feet (51 m) high, with 8 feet (2.4 m) of freeboard. Southern California Edison owns the dam.[2]

Recreation

Located in Sierra National Forest near the Pacific Crest Trail, Lake Thomas A Edison is the centerpiece of Vermilion Valley Resort and Vermillion Campground, which support boating, camping, fishing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and horseback riding.[3][5]

Access

The lake is three hours away by car from Fresno. Take State Route 168 east to Huntington Lake, head east on Kaiser Pass Road. The road crosses Kaiser Pass (elevation 9,175 feet (2,797 m)) and closes during the winter months. The United States Forest Service does not recommend it for buses, large motor homes, or vehicles towing trailers.[6]

A ferry crosses the lake twice a day (Inactive in 2021 due to extreme low levels of water - travel service to/from the trailhead can be arranged through Vermillion Valley Resort or hikers may follow a trail along the north side of the lake for trail access), linking Vermilion Valley Resort with the John Muir Wilderness trailhead and providing access to and from the John Muir Trail and Pacific Crest Trail.[6]

Nomenclature

The lake was named after American inventor Thomas Edison to mark the 75th anniversary of his invention of the incandescent light bulb.[7] The dam was named after the valley it flooded, noted for its reddish soil.[6]

See also
Lake Edison, aerial looking northeast
Lake Edison, southern shoreline looking north. Taken from the edge of the lake when the lake is at full capacity.

References
  1. "Lake Thomas A Edison". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "Dams Within the Jurisdiction of the State of California (T-Z)" (PDF). California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  3. "Welcome to Vermilion Valley Resort". Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  4. "The Big Creek System" (PDF). Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  5. "Facility Details - Vermillion, CA". Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  6. "Lake Thomas A. Edison" (PDF). Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  7. "Description of the Big Creek System" (PDF). Retrieved December 21, 2012.
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