Lake Temescal c1885 3
Description:
Hills above Lake Temescal (looking northwesterly), in what was then unincorporated Alameda County, north of Oakland, Calif. The ravine formed by what today is referred to as the Tunnel Branch tributary of Temescal Creek can be seen at the lower portion of the photograph.
Date of Document:
circa 1885
Document Author:
Frank B. Rodolph
Geographic Location:
Lake Temescal, Oakland, Calif.
Context:
In the 1866, French Canadian-born Anthony Chabot, who earned his reputation as the father of hydraulic mining in the Sierra Nevada during the Gold Rush, founded the Contra Costa Water Company and began construction of an earthen dam in the hills above Oakland. He chose as the site for the dam the confluence of Temescal Creek and one of its main tributaries known today as the Tunnel Branch. Built largely by Chinese laborers, the dam was completed in 1868, creating Lake Temescal (originally named Lake Chabot) and Oakland s first municipal water supply. But even before its completion, Chabot and others understood that the reservoir would be insufficient to meet the fresh water needs of Oakland s growing population. In 1874, Chabot turned his attention to building an even larger reservoir by damming San Leandro Creek. In 1936, Lake Temescal (which straddles the Hayward fault) was among the first three public parks established by the East Bay Regional Park District.