Lexington Reservoir (California)

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Lexington Reservoir is a manmade lake in Santa Clara County, California in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, along State Route 17, above Los Gatos. It has an elevation of 645 feet. The exact location is latitude 371205N, longitude 1215916W; decimal degrees: latitude 37.20139, longitude -121.98778[1]

The reservoir was created by the damming of Los Gatos Creek; this submerged the former villages of Lexington and Alma. Highway 17 was rerouted to its current alignment. From 1880 to 1940, a narrow gauge railroad ran from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz, passing through Lexington and Alma.

Besides serving as a water supply for the area, the lake is used for rowing, paddling, and fishing. Santa Clara County manages the 960-acre Lexington Reservoir County Park. The park provides facilities for hiking and picnicking. The reservoir is stocked with black bass, trout, bluegill, and crappie. The park includes part of the San Andreas Fault. The mountains feature redwood forests, chaparral, grasslands, hardwoods, and mixed conifer habitats.[2]

When the level of Lexington Reservoir drops, it is possible to see portions of the old roads that were used in the construction of the reservoir and to the historic towns of Lexington and Alma that once existed in the valley before the reservoir was constructed in 1952. The Southern Pacific railroad also went through the valley. The San Andreas Fault crosses Los Gatos Creek just south of the upstream end of the reservoir.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lexington Reservoir, California: Lexington Reservoir, California Latitude and Longitude
  2. ^ Lexington Reservoir | CA: Northern California Water Trails
  3. ^ Lexington Park and Reservoir, Santa Clara County, CA