Visited on 5/6/2018, Jeff and I loaded up our two chocolate Labradors, Summer and Skye and we traveled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in El Dorado County to visit this lake on a nice spring day. We recently purchased a 12 foot kayak and this was our first outing with the new kayak. Slab Creek Reservoir is located near Pollock Pines, California at an elevation of 1,854 feet above sea level. This 249 acre lake is formed by Slab Creek Dam which is one of several dams and reservoirs owned by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Others include the 1959 Ice House Dam, the 1963 Loon Lake Dam, and the 1963 Union Valley Dam. The concrete arch dam was constructed in 1967 as part of the Upper American River Project by SMUD. It has a height of 250 feet, and a length of 825 feet at its crest. The lake was completely full and giving us an impressive water show with tons of water overflowing the natural overflow dam. Slab Creek Reservoir lies in a deep gorge in the upper South Fork of the American River in El Dorado National Forest. The South Fork American River is one of the most popular whitewater rivers in the western half of the United States. Slab Creek Reservoir is the only disruption in a series of whitewater runs lying upriver of Chili Bar Reservoir. It is a fabulous paddling destination that not many people know about. Only an hour’s driving time from Sacramento, it is a must see retreat for paddling enthusiasts who enjoy flat water in a peaceful atmosphere, void of all motorized water vessels. Recreation on and around the reservoir includes fishing, camping, and rafting. An additional project called the Iowa Hill Pumped-Storage Project was planned in 2001, which would have taken water from the Slab Creek reservoir during off-peak times, to be released for electricity generation at times of high demand. In February 2016 the project was cancelled, on the grounds that by the time it was completed, that type of storage would not be needed.
Wes navigating the new kayak for the first time. So much fun and we were the only ones on the reservoir, so peaceful and quiet.
With the snow melting in the Sierra Mountains, the dam is overflowing in to the South Fork of the American River. Very impressive and loud when you are right above the dam.
We had the boat launch area all to ourselves for about two hours. Summer and Skye were able to fetch the ball in the water while I was kayaking the lake.
Jeff taking a turn at kayaking across the Lake. Fun times!
The South Fork of the American River starts again once the water drops from the Slab Creek Reservoir Dam to the canyon floor. This picture was taken a few hundred yards to the west of the dam and there is a wonderful waterfall that enters the River from the north side.
No comments:
Post a Comment