Lake Poway is a dam and reservoir in Poway, California, United States. The dam is owned by the City of Poway and was constructed between 1970 and 1972 with the purpose of storing and supplying water, and providing recreational facilities to the community. A $3.2-million bond issue for construction of the dam was rejected by voters in 1964 and 1966, but passed with 87 percent in favor in 1969.
History
In 1962, a report showed that Poway's existing storage facilities were insufficient in the event of a breakdown of the aqueduct from the Colorado river following an earthquake or other interruption to the supply. As a result, it was proposed that an earthen dam be built in Warren Canyon to impound water and form a storage reservoir. Funds for the project were to come from a bond issue and the matter came to a vote in March 1964. In this first vote and a second attempt in June 1966, the measure received the support of most voters, but failed to reach the required two-thirds majority. Finally, in June 1969, a $3.2-million bond was passed with 87 percent in favor. Groundbreaking took place in December 1970, with water flowing into the dam in late 1971. Recreational facilities were built in 1972, and opened in October of that year. In 2017, torrential rains caused the reservoir water level to near the top of the dam, but a spillover did not occur and it remained structurally sound. In 2019, Poway experienced a contaminated water crisis. A precautionary boil water advisory forced restaurants and other businesses to shut down for a week. The problem started when a storm water pipe backed up during strong rains on the 28 and 29 of November. The pipe leaked storm water into the clear well reservoir near Lake Poway and next to the water treatment plant, clouding the water sent to homes with mud and residue. After the problem was fixed, the 2019 annual water quality report showed that the drinking water was safe.
Dam and reservoir
The dam is an earth-filled dam with a height of. The reservoir has a surface area of 35 acres, and a capacity of. The spillway is a span of concrete wide, located on the east side of the dam.
Recreational usage
The adjacent hillside park has several picnic areas, playgrounds and sports facilities. On May 9, 2017, a memorial statue was unveiled at Lake Poway in honor of long-time Poway resident and San Diego Padres baseball player Tony Gwynn. The bronze likeness of Gwynn was designed by Seth Vandable.
Year-round fishing is available for trout, bass, catfish, sunfish and bluegill. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout in the winter months, and offers good fishing for bass, catfish, and bluegill in warmer months. The following are the lake catch records:
