San Luis Reservoir

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=558 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Luis_Reservoir#San_Luis_Reservoir_State_Recreation_Area San Luis Reservoir is part of the larger San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area (California State Parks) and therefore offers many recreational opportunities for fishermen, boaters, and campers. The park is patrolled by California State Park Peace Officers by vehicle, vessel, and off-highway vehicle. In addition to camping and boating, day use picnic areas are available at San Luis Creek, and an off-highway vehicle (OHV) area is available east of the main area at the intersection of Gonzaga Road and Jaspar-Sears Road.

San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area Our Mission The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Water or its scarcity has always played a crucial role in Central Valley history. California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (209) 826-1197. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact interp@parks.ca.gov. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service www.parks.ca.gov San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area 31426 Gonzaga Road Gustine, CA 95322 (209) 826-1197 www.parks.ca.gov/sanluisreservoir © 2011 California State Parks (Rev. 2017) N estled in the western San Joaquin Valley near historic Pacheco Pass, San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area is a popular summer destination for anyone seeking the perfect place to cool off. Spring rains bring acres of wildflowers to decorate the grassy hills at the reservoir. These oak-studded hills undergo a short cycle of spring green, followed by the golden browns of summer. Summer temperatures in this part of the valley range from the mid-90s to above 100 degrees. Generally, evenings are cool and pleasant. Annual rainfall between November and April averages eight to nine inches. Winter temperatures seldom reach freezing, but heavy fog is common. Strong winds can come up suddenly. PARK HISTORY Native People For thousands of years, the southern half of California’s Central Valley was home to three distinct Yokuts groups — the Southern, the Foothill, and the Northern Valley Yokuts. The area that is now San Luis Reservoir was a borderland between the Northern Yokuts people and the Mutsun branch of the Ohlone tribe, whose territory extended to the coast. The native people lived on salmon and other fish, waterfowl, large game such as pronghorns and tule elk, seeds, roots of the cattails that grew in the marshes, and a plentiful supply of acorns from groves of valley oaks. European Settlement In 1805 Spanish Army Lieutenant Gabriel Moraga and his troops — reportedly the first non-natives to enter this area — came to scout potential mission sites. The Yokuts were forcibly brought into the mission system at nearby Mission San Juan Bautista, drastically changing their lives. Indian resistance to the missions took the form of cattle raids; what is now Pacheco Pass provided raiders an escape route into the relative safety of the Central Valley. The Mexican government granted El Rancho San Luis Gonzaga — a vast expanse of grasslands that included the present reservoir area — to Juan Perez Pacheco in 1843. At the site of an ancient water hole on San Luis Creek, Pacheco’s men built a small adobe fortress to protect their lands from cattle raiders. Fur trapper Jedediah Smith traveled through the valley in 1827; soon others were trapping river otters, beavers, and other fur-bearers in the flourishing streams. After the 1848 gold discovery, California drew an estimated 300,000 gold diggers trying to get rich quickly. Eventually, some of the miners — tired of heavy labor for small reward — settled in this area and became farmers. While the fertile east side of the Central Valley was ideal for farming, the west side, however, was extremely dry. Agriculture in the Valley In the early years after the gold rush, agriculture on the dry side of the valley was limited to sheep and cattle grazing, and to what old-timers called “sky farming.” This precarious dry-land wheat farming depended entirely on the winter rainfall. When little rain fell, entire crops were lost. In 1871 the San Joaquin and Kings River Canal Company built an irrigation canal from the Mendota Dam to Los Baños Creek that eventually grew to 180 miles in length. By the mid-1880s, wheat had reached a harvest peak of nearly 18 million bushels annually. Farmers shipped their wheat to Stockton and San Francisco by river steamers until the railroad came to the west valley in 1888. Irrigation also made it possible for farmers to raise dairy cows and grow alfalfa, fruit trees, and row crops. Irrigation and flood control projects proliferated in the Central Valley in the 1900s, culminating in the State Water Project. The Reservoir Ground was broken for construction of the San Luis Reservoir in 1962. The reservoir stores runoff water from the Delta for the federal Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project. The water arrives through the California Aqueduct and the Delta-Mendota Canal, pumped from the O’Neill Forebay into the main reservoir during winter and spring. The separate Los Baños Creek Reservoir prevents storm runoff i

Área recreativa estatal San Luis Reservoir Nuestra Misión La misión de California State Parks es proporcionar apoyo para la salud, la inspiración y la educación de los ciudadanos de California al ayudar a preservar la extraordinaria diversidad biológica del estado, proteger sus más valiosos recursos naturales y culturales, y crear oportunidades para la recreación al aire libre de alta calidad. El agua o su escasez siempre ha jugado un papel crucial en la historia del Valle Central California State Parks apoya la igualdad de acceso. Antes de llegar, los visitantes con discapacidades que necesiten asistencia deben comunicarse con el parque llamando al (209) 826-1197. Si necesita esta publicación en un formato alternativo, escriba a interp@parks.ca.gov. CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 Para obtener más información, llame al: (800) 777-0369 o (916) 653-6995, fuera de los EE. UU. o 711, servicio de teléfono de texto. www.parks.ca.gov San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area 31426 Gonzaga Road Gustine, CA 95322 (209) 826-1197 www.parks.ca.gov/sanluisreservoir © 2011 California State Parks (Rev. 2017) U bicada en el oeste del Valle de San Joaquín, cerca del histórico Pacheco Pass, el Área Recreativa Estatal del Embalse de San Luis es un popular destino veraniego para cualquiera que busque el lugar perfecto para refrescarse. Las lluvias de primavera traen acres de flores silvestres para decorar las colinas cubiertas de hierba en el embalse. Estas colinas cubiertas de robles experimentan un ciclo corto de verde primaveral, seguido de los marrones dorados del verano. Las temperaturas veraniegas en esta parte del valle van desde mediados de los 90 a más de 100 grados. En general, las noches son frescas y agradables. La precipitación anual entre noviembre y abril promedia de ocho a nueve pulgadas. Las temperaturas invernales rara vez alcanzan el punto de congelación, pero la niebla densa es común. Los vientos fuertes pueden aparecer de repente. HISTORIA DEL PARQUE Pueblos nativos Durante miles de años, la mitad sur del Valle Central de California fue hogar de tres grupos distintos de Yokut, los Yokut del sur, del pie de la colina y del valle del norte. El área que ahora forma el embalse de San Luis era una frontera entre el pueblo Yokut del norte y la rama Mutsun de la tribu Ohlone, cuyo territorio se extendía hasta la costa. Los nativos vivían de salmón y otros peces, aves acuáticas, presas grandes como los berrendos y los ciervos canadienses, semillas, raíces de las aneas que crecían en las ciénagas y un abundante suministro de bellotas de las arboledas de los robles del valle. Colonización europea En 1805 el teniente del ejército español Gabriel Moraga y sus tropas — según los informes, los primeros no nativos en entrar en esta área — vinieron a explorar posibles sitios de misión. Los Yokut fueron llevados por la fuerza al sistema de misiones en la cercana Misión San Juan Bautista, lo que cambió drásticamente sus vidas. La resistencia indígena a las misiones tomó la forma de incursiones contra el ganado; lo que ahora se conoce como Pacheco Pass proporcionó a los incursores una ruta de escape hacia la relativa seguridad del Valle Central. El gobierno mexicano otorgó El Rancho San Luis Gonzaga — una vasta extensión de pastizales que incluía la actual área del embalse — a Juan Perez Pacheco en 1843. En el sitio de un antiguo pozo de agua en San Luis Creek, los hombres de Pacheco construyeron una pequeña fortaleza de adobe para proteger sus tierras de los saqueadores de ganado. El cazador de pieles Jedediah Smith viajó por el valle en 1827; pronto otros se encontraron atrapando nutrias de río, castores y otros portadores de pieles en las corrientes florecientes. Después del descubrimiento del oro en 1848, California atrajo a aproximadamente 300 000 buscadores de oro que intentaban hacerse ricos rápidamente. Eventualmente, algunos de los mineros — cansados del trabajo pesado por una pequeña recompensa — se establecieron en esta área y se convirtieron en agricultores. Aunque el fértil lado oriental del Valle Central era ideal para la agricultura, el lado occidental era extremadamente seco. AGRICULTURA EN EL VALLE En los primeros años después de la fiebre del oro, la agricultura en el lado árido del valle se limitaba al pastoreo de ovejas y ganado, y a lo que los veteranos llamaban “cultivo del cielo”. Este precario cultivo de trigo en tierra árida dependía completamente de la lluvia invernal. Cuando llovía poco, se perdían cultivos enteros. En 1871, la compañía San Joaquin and Kings River Canal Company construyó un canal de irrigación desde la presa Mendota hasta Los Baños Creek que eventualmente creció hasta 180 millas de longitud. A mediados de la década de 1880, el trigo había alcanzado un pico de cosecha de casi 18 millones de bushel al año. Los agricultores enviaban su trigo a Stockton y San Francisco en barcos de vapor fluviales hasta que el ferrocarril llegó al valle oes

Legend San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area Accessible Feature Bicycle Trail • High winds can come up quickly; wind warning lights will flash. YELLOW (caution) wind speeds of 15-30 mph. RED (lake closed) wind speeds over 30 mph. GET OFF THE WATER! • Boating pattern is counter-clockwise on O’Neill Forebay. • Beware of submerged hazards due to fluctuating water levels. • Check for current water levels at http://cdec.water.ca.gov • Day-use areas close at sunset. All boats must be off the water and out of the gated area by sunset. • No boats are allowed within ‘500 of the dam or trash racks. • Speed limit is 5 mph within 200 ft of shoreline and on Los Banos Creek Reservoir. The main reservoir and the O’Neill Forebay have 10 mph zones. Point Rd. Horse Campground Group Campground Romero Visitor Center Restrooms San Luis Reservoir RV Station O’Neill Forebay Sisk Dam Wind Warning Light Check # 13 MEDEIROS CAMPGROUND LIFE JACKET. For emergencies call 16 14 15 11 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 2 4 3 1 Accessible Trail to Check #12 San Luis Creek Campground 53 Developed sites with water and electric 79 Developed sites Pioneer Rd. 33 an yon Rd Lake Speed Limit 152 911. ©2006 California State Parks (Rev. 2010) 13 Basalt Campground 152 LOS BAÑOS CREEK CAMPGROUND 79 39 41 40 77 78 43 42 76 75 44 45 73 74 46 47 48 72 71 50 49 70 69 51 68 52 67 66 53 54 65 64 55 56 63 62 57 58 61 59 60 C It FloatsYou Don’t! BASALT CAMPGROUND 38 Canyon Rd. Wear your Gonzaga Rd. Jasper Sears Basalt Rd. PACHECO STATE PARK 24 22 23 21 20 19 18 17 Motorcycle Trail Area Ranger Station 33 24 22 28 26 25 23 20 29 27 21 19 17 18 30 31 15 16 34 32 13 33 11 14 35 10 12 3 5 7 9 8 4 6 Locked Gate Trail I-5 36 37 1 2 Horse Trail Telephone SANTA NELLA SAN LUIS CREEK CAMPGROUND 152 Dinosaur Hiking Showers Check # 12 DINOSAUR POINT Campground Volta Rd. BOATING SAFETY Boat Launch 35 37 36 39 38 34 33 41 40 42 43 31 32 45 44 30 46 29 48 28 49 2627 25 50 52 51 53 Between road and shoreline Medeiros Campground 5 MPH Los Baños Creek Campground LOS BAÑOS RESERVOIR Maps Not To Scale San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area 31426 Gonzaga Rd., Gustine, CA 95322-9737 Merced County • (209) 826-1197 FOR YOUR SAFETY AND ENJOYMENT In developed campgrounds, vehicles must remain on roads at all times and may park only in designated areas. Eight (8) persons, two vehicles (including trailers) maximum per developed campsite. Dogs must be on a leash no more than six feet long and must be kept inside a tent or vehicle at night. Noisy or vicious pets are not allowed. Use of stereos, radios, tools, etc. that emit sound beyond the immediate campsite is not permitted at any time. Quiet hours are from 10 p.m to 6 a.m. Generator operation is permitted from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. only. Fires allowed in grills only. NO GROUND FIRES ARE PERMITTED. Wood gathering is not allowed. Wood is for sale at the park entrance, or at the camp host site. Please remember that all plants, animals, and other park features are protected by law. Campground check-out time is noon. CAMPING San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area has four campgrounds: Basalt, San Luis Creek, Medeiros, and Los Banos Creek. All campgrounds are open year round. Campsite use must be paid for in advance. In order to accommodate the greatest number of visitors possible, your stay cannot exceed 15 consecutive days at a campsite and 30 days overall in state parks within one year. DAY-USE Group Picnic Sites: Five group picnic sites are along the O’Neill Forebay shoreline throughout the North Beach and South Beach day-use areas. Group picnic sites are subject to reservation. Each site has a large shade ramada, a large BBQ grill, and several cement tables. Group picnic sites 1 through 4 are located on North Beach which has a designated swim area. Dogs are prohibited on North Beach. Boats are not allowed to beach. Group picnic area 5 is located on South Beach, where boats can be beached. Dogs must remain on a leash and under immediate control of its owner at all times. Flushable toilets and drinking water are available on both beaches. San Luis Creek Day Use Area: North and South Beach day-use areas have about 200 picnic sites with shade ramadas, tables, and BBQ grills. Both day-use areas have plenty of shade and grass. North Beach is the only designated swim area within San Luis Reservoir State Recreation Area. Lifeguards are not on duty. BOATING San Luis Reservoir has a 65-mile shoreline with two boat ramps. O’Neill Forebay has 14 miles of shoreline and one boat ramp. Los Banos Reservoir has a 12-mile shoreline located in a steep walled canyon; it has one boat ramp. Boating hours for San Luis Reservoir, Los Banos Reservoir and O’Neill Forebay are sunrise to sunset. No boats allowed on the water overnight. FEES Fees apply for camping, day-use, boat launch, and for additional vehicles. Prices are subject to change. Current fee information can be obtained by calling the par

A GUIDE TO: CALIFORNIA OFF-HIGHWAY ADVENTURES OFF-HIGHWAY MOTOR VEHICLE RECREATION DIVISION CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS WELCOME! alifornia State Parks welcomes you to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Program. Did you know that California State Parks manages the largest off-highway recreation program in the United States? Established over 40 years ago, the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division, in partnership with local, state, and federal agencies, offers a wide variety of off-highway adventures to suit every skill level and age while protecting California's natural and cultural resources. C Off-highway motor vehicle recreation is a great way to spend quality time with friends and family and encourages healthy physical activity. Motorized recreation opens the door for millions of people to access and enjoy California's great outdoors. To help you better identify and enjoy off-highway vehicle recreation opportunities, this Guide to California Off-Highway Adventures provides a listing of trails and areas designated for motorized recreation. People enjoy off-highway recreation in California, and appreciate the need to protect our environment and preserve access to the outdoors. Those traveling off-highway include a broad range of recreationists as diverse as the terrain of California. Regardless of whether you enjoy traveling with two wheels, four wheels, hooves or your feet, we all share a common desire: the appreciation of California's extraordinary natural landscape and love of the outdoors. Respecting one another's right to recreate in their own personal and responsible way and following basic trail etiquette will go far in reducing use conflicts and enhancing your off-highway experience, wherever, and whatever it might be. So jump in and join us for a world of adventure that lies just down the road. Of all the roads you take in life, make sure some of them are dirt! Fun and excitement provided at no extra charge. MISSION STATEMENT The Mission of the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division is to provide leadership statewide in the area of off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation; to acquire, develop, and operate state-owned vehicular recreation areas; and to otherwise provide for a statewide system of managed OHV recreational opportunities through funding to other public agencies. The OHMVR Division works to ensure quality recreational opportunities remain available for future generations by providing for education, conservation, and enforcement efforts that balance OHV recreation impacts with programs that conserve and protect cultural and natural resources. California State Parks, OHMVR Division 1725 23rd Street, Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95816-7100 916.324.4442 ohv.parks.ca.gov ohvinfo.ohv@parks.ca.gov FUNDING A STATEWIDE OHV PROGRAM he OHV Trust Fund is comprised entirely of funds generated in the course of OHV recreation, including: T • Gas taxes on gasoline used for OHV recreation on public lands. • OHV Green/Red Sticker registration fees and non-resident permit fees. • Entrance fees to the State Vehicular Recreation Areas (SVRAs). GET INVOLVED; BECOME A VOLUNTEER! f you are passionate about OHV recreation, and want to ensure your opportunities remain open for years to come, become a volunteer today! I tread lightly! The OHMVR Division is committed to the principles of Tread Lightly! Being environmentally responsible isn't difficult, but it does involve some basic principles. These principles are outlined in the Tread Lightly! Pledge. Travel responsibly Respect the rights of others Educate yourself Avoid sensitive areas he Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of California State Parks operates and funds 8 SVRAs throughout the state and provides funding for local, state and federal agencies and partners for a system of managed OHV programs. T The funds distributed through the Grants Program are used to develop, operate and maintain OHV areas and facilities, including trail improvement and upkeep, care and cleaning of OHV staging areas, environmental monitoring, law enforcement, and education and safety programs. Combined efforts at all levels of government, joined with contributions from thousands of volunteers who care CHILDREN IN THE OUTDOORS he mission of the Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights is to encourage California's children to participate in outdoor activities and discover their heritage. T As a volunteer, you can help sustain a community of informed, caring, and responsible recreationists. Your contribution will ensure off-highway vehicle recreation opportunities remain available today and for future generations. Volunteer opportunities are diverse and include: • Trail Patrol/Monitoring/Maintenance. • Public Outreach (OHV fairs, community and school functions, etc.). OHV recreation areas fit perfectly with this mission. In some areas, naturalists and recreation staff lead programs such as bird watching, bike rides, and nature hikes speci