Lake Combie - Placer and Nevada Counties, California

Visited on 3/9/2019, Jeff and I loaded up our dogs, Summer and Skye for a day adventure one hour north of our Ranch up to Nevada County, California.  This was a scattered rainy cloudy day, so we didn’t expect much and just out to explore the South Yuba River area of Northern California.   We visited four lakes, two actually located in Nevada County and two in Placer County.  Our fourth and last stop was Lake Combie.  Located northeast of Sacramento about 45 miles, and just ten miles north of Auburn, California in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains lies a nice 276 surface acre lake at an elevation of 1,605 feet above sea level.  Lake Combie is an impoundment of the Bear River flowing along the Placer and Nevada County line in northwestern California's Gold Country.  Also known as Combie Lake, Van Giesen and Combie Reservoir, this private reservoir is owned by the Nevada Irrigation District (NID). Access to the sparkling water is limited to fortunate landowners and guests living in the Sierra Nevada foothills surrounding the lake shore.

Two dams on Combie Reservoir trap winter precipitation and Sierra snowmelt for use in irrigation, drinking water, hydropower and recreational use. Van Giesen Dam, also called Lake Combie Dam, was started in October, 1927 and completed in May, 1928 on the Bear River in Placer County. At a later date, Combie Dam was constructed north of Van Giesen Dam on the Bear River in Nevada County. The 85-foot Van Giesen Dam originally stored water fed by the Bear River and Wooley Creek in Placer County. Over the decades erosion and upstream sediment have reduced the lake's volume.  Dredging is used to stabilize the Lake Combie's size.

Lake Combie stores water for treatment plants in the nearby communities of Lake of the Pines and Auburn. From mid-April to mid-October Combie Lake also replenishes the four lakes within the nearby community of Lake of the Pines. Combie Reservoir drains through a canal at the north end of the lake and has two intake facilities for the hydropower plant located on the north and south side of Van Giesen Dam.

Nevada Irrigation District owns Combie Reservoir plus an additional five feet above the 1,600-foot water elevation line. Follow the rolling hills along the nine-mile shoreline and you will find five miles of shore within Nevada County and four miles of shore within Placer County.

Lake Combie landscape holds mixed conifers, native grasses and shrubs, but very little vegetation grows along the lake shore. As a result, shallow water warms rapidly providing less than ideal conditions for native fish species.

Drive approximately 10 miles south of Lake Combie is the lovely community of Auburn. Once considered the crossroads of the Mother Lode, Auburn is steeped in mining history. A walk through Old Town will take you past historic architecture; a delightful selection of antique stores, restaurants and gift shops; or a refreshing break at the soda fountain at the Auburn Drug Company in operation since 1896. If you stay through the change of seasons Auburn offers local fare at the Wild West Stampede in April and Gold Country Fair in September.