Lake Perris - Riverside County, California

Visited on 1/3/2018 during a trip to proctor examinations for work I visited the Riverside area of South California.  I visited several lakes in the area. 

Lake Perris is an artificial lake completed in 1973.  It is the southern terminus of the California State Water Project, situated in a mountain-rimmed valley between Moreno Valley and Perris, in what is now the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. The park offers a variety of recreational activities. Because of this and the lake's proximity to major population centers, it is very crowded during the summer months.  Lake Perris is 1,560 feet above sea level and is ringed by hills and small mountains. It impounds 2,340 acre feet of water behind a 2-mile long, 128 foot tall, chevron-shaped earthfill dam. The untended areas of Lake Perris may seem rocky and barren at first glance, but harbor a variety of natural wonders.  An artificial reef exists on the lake floor made of old tires. The reef was created to provide a habitat for fish.

Lake Perris has hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Rainy weather is limited almost completely to the months between November and April. The area lies at a crossroads of weather influences. Coastal fog (and smog) comes from the west, while "Santa Anas"—strong, hot dry winds—come from the deserts to the east and northeast. The average water temperature is 70 °F; during the summer months, it is bathwater-warm and very pleasant to swim in.

For several months following July 2005, the water in Lake Perris was drawn down by about 20 percent (about 24 feet) due to safety concerns with the dam. An extensive modern study concluded that the dam could be partially breached if a 7.5 magnitude or higher earthquake were to strike in the area. Heightening the engineers' fears was the fact that the San Jacinto Fault, easily capable of creating a 7.5 tremor, passes just a few miles north of the lake. It may take more than two years for the state to plan a course of action to bolster the dam.

The Los Angeles Olympic Bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games made an agreement with the Department of Parks and Recreation for the Lake to be host for competitive Canoe-Sprint and rowing competition when Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics. The bid committee preferred Lake Perris to Lake Casitas as Lake Perris is near a larger population area and its close proximity to the University of California, Riverside.