Lake Solano is a

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

formed by Putah Diversion Dam impounding

Putah Creek Putah Creek ( Patwin: ''Liwaito'') is a major stream in Northern California, a tributary of the Yolo Bypass, and ultimately, the Sacramento River. The creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, a part of the Coast Range, and ...

, located in the

Vaca Mountains The Vaca Mountains are a mountain range in Napa County, California, Napa and Solano County, California, Solano Counties, California that is one of the California Coast Ranges. They represent the easternmost of the Inner Coast Ranges in north−ce ...

within

Yolo County Yolo County (; Wintun: ''Yo-loy''), officially the County of Yolo, is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Yolo County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood ...

and northern

Solano County Solano County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 453,491. The county seat is Fairfield. Solano County comprises the Vallejo–Fairfield metropolitan statistical area, which is a ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The

California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, commonly referred to as OEHHA (pronounced oh-EEE-ha), is a specialized department within the cabinet-level California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) with responsibility for evaluati ...

has issued a safe eatin
advisory
for any fish caught in Putah Creak including Lake Solano due to elevated levels of mercury.

Geography

The reservoir is long with a capacity of 750 acre-feet. It serves to divert water into the Putah South Canal to supply agricultural and urban users. It is downstream from

Monticello Dam Monticello Dam is a high concrete arch dam in Napa County, California, Napa County, California, United States, constructed between 1953 and 1957. The dam impounded Putah Creek to create Lake Berryessa in the Vaca Mountains. Lake Berryessa is c ...

, also on Putah Creek. The city of Winters is downstream from the Putah Diversion Dam in the western

Sacramento Valley The Sacramento Valley is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies north of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the Sacramento River. It encompasses all or parts of ten Northern California ...

Recreation

The lake and the surrounding land is used for recreation as Lake Solano County Park, with public campgrounds and the Lake Solano Nature Center. Activities include picnicking, camping, kayaking, SUP, boating, swimming, fishing, bird watching, and hiking.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Solano County.ca.gov: Lake Solano County Park and Campground
Solano Solano Parks in Solano County, California Protected areas of Yolo County, California Vaca Mountains Winters, California Campgrounds in California