The main objective of Irvine Lake (Santiago Creek Reservoir), which was first built in 1933, is to retain water for the benefit of the nearby communities. Originally, this was done to supply irrigation water for nearby farmers, but more recently, it has been used mostly to meet urban water demands. Water from Irvine Lake is used by the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) for two things: 1) non-drinking uses, like watering avocado orchards, and 2) the Baker Water Treatment Plant, which produces drinking water for an estimated 85,000 Orange County homes. In addition to being IRWD's co-owner of Irvine Lake, Serrano Water District (SWD) uses Irvine Lake water to supply its clients in the City of Villa Park and some areas of the City of Orange with Irvine Lake Catfish Baits.
Both IRWD and SWD strike a balance between reducing water evaporation from Irvine Lake and ensuring that consumers have a consistent supply of water by storing water in the lake. Because there is more surface area of water in Irvine Lake when the water level is high, the rate of evaporation rises sharply. Preserving the capacity to collect rainfall from the nearby hills that will enter Irvine Lake is another important factor in controlling the lake's water levels. The cost of supplying clients with drinking water can be decreased by capturing this fresh water in Irvine Lake at no expense to either agency.
Irvine Lake's Water Quality
Irvine Lake's water quality is crucial as it serves as a source of recycled and drinking water. The lake is filled by rainwater runoff from the nearby watershed. IRWD regularly monitors the lake in great detail to make sure the water quality is high enough to sustain usage. Every five years, sanitary studies are conducted in the Irvine Lake watershed to identify any potential hazards to the water quality. According to the most current assessment, which was finished in 2019, septic systems and wildfires pose the biggest dangers to the water quality in the primarily rural watershed.
In years with lower rainfall, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) provides Irvine Lake with imported water that is added by IRWD and Serrano Water District. In addition to providing drinking water to communities across Southern California, MWD also monitors a wide range of other water quality metrics and federal and state-regulated components. Our yearly Water Quality Report includes information on the water quality of all the sources of drinking water that IRWD uses.
Irvine Lake fishing
Limited shoreline fishing has returned to Irvine Lake, which is still largely a water resource facility, as of August 17, 2019. Please get in touch with the County of Orange (OC Parks) for information about Irvine Lake Catfish Baits.
We at IRWD are proud to provide our clients with chances to experience the outdoors and gain knowledge about their surroundings since we promote leisure in Orange County. However, IRWD primarily manages Irvine Lake as a reservoir for water storage and does not control the lake's recreational facilities. The proprietors of the "Irvine Lake Recreation Rights" are in charge of overseeing Irvine Lake recreation. The following organizations share those rights:
FAQs
Why is Irvine Lake closed?
Conflicts between many entities led to Irvine Lake's closure for three years. In order to restore Irvine Lake for public use, Supervisor Wagner spearheaded discussions with the Irvine Company, Irvine Ranch Water District, Serrano Water District, and the County of Orange once he took office.
Where does Irvine water come from?
Local groundwater provides 50% of the IRWD's water supply, followed by recycled water (25%), imported water (22%), and surface water (3%). Local groundwater wells in the Orange County Groundwater Basin provide around half of the IRWD's water supply.
Where does Irvine Lake get its water?
Co-owned by the Irvine Ranch Water District and the Serrano Water District, Irvine Lake's main function is to store water for the nearby areas. In years with lower rainfall, it holds water imported from Northern California or outside the state. It also collects rainfall from the Irvine Lake Catfish Baits.
Willow Stella
The main objective of Irvine Lake (Santiago Creek Reservoir), which was first built in 1933, is to retain water for the benefit of the nearby communities. Originally, this was done to supply irrigation water for nearby farmers, but more recently, it has been used mostly to meet urban water demands. Water from Irvine Lake is used by the Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) for two things: 1) non-drinking uses, like watering avocado orchards, and 2) the Baker Water Treatment Plant, which produces drinking water for an estimated 85,000 Orange County homes. In addition to being IRWD's co-owner of Irvine Lake, Serrano Water District (SWD) uses Irvine Lake water to supply its clients in the City of Villa Park and some areas of the City of Orange with Irvine Lake Catfish Baits.
Both IRWD and SWD strike a balance between reducing water evaporation from Irvine Lake and ensuring that consumers have a consistent supply of water by storing water in the lake. Because there is more surface area of water in Irvine Lake when the water level is high, the rate of evaporation rises sharply. Preserving the capacity to collect rainfall from the nearby hills that will enter Irvine Lake is another important factor in controlling the lake's water levels. The cost of supplying clients with drinking water can be decreased by capturing this fresh water in Irvine Lake at no expense to either agency.
Irvine Lake's Water Quality
Irvine Lake's water quality is crucial as it serves as a source of recycled and drinking water. The lake is filled by rainwater runoff from the nearby watershed. IRWD regularly monitors the lake in great detail to make sure the water quality is high enough to sustain usage. Every five years, sanitary studies are conducted in the Irvine Lake watershed to identify any potential hazards to the water quality. According to the most current assessment, which was finished in 2019, septic systems and wildfires pose the biggest dangers to the water quality in the primarily rural watershed.
In years with lower rainfall, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) provides Irvine Lake with imported water that is added by IRWD and Serrano Water District. In addition to providing drinking water to communities across Southern California, MWD also monitors a wide range of other water quality metrics and federal and state-regulated components. Our yearly Water Quality Report includes information on the water quality of all the sources of drinking water that IRWD uses.
Irvine Lake fishing
Limited shoreline fishing has returned to Irvine Lake, which is still largely a water resource facility, as of August 17, 2019. Please get in touch with the County of Orange (OC Parks) for information about Irvine Lake Catfish Baits.
We at IRWD are proud to provide our clients with chances to experience the outdoors and gain knowledge about their surroundings since we promote leisure in Orange County. However, IRWD primarily manages Irvine Lake as a reservoir for water storage and does not control the lake's recreational facilities. The proprietors of the "Irvine Lake Recreation Rights" are in charge of overseeing Irvine Lake recreation. The following organizations share those rights:
FAQs
Why is Irvine Lake closed?
Conflicts between many entities led to Irvine Lake's closure for three years. In order to restore Irvine Lake for public use, Supervisor Wagner spearheaded discussions with the Irvine Company, Irvine Ranch Water District, Serrano Water District, and the County of Orange once he took office.
Where does Irvine water come from?
Local groundwater provides 50% of the IRWD's water supply, followed by recycled water (25%), imported water (22%), and surface water (3%). Local groundwater wells in the Orange County Groundwater Basin provide around half of the IRWD's water supply.
Where does Irvine Lake get its water?
Co-owned by the Irvine Ranch Water District and the Serrano Water District, Irvine Lake's main function is to store water for the nearby areas. In years with lower rainfall, it holds water imported from Northern California or outside the state. It also collects rainfall from the Irvine Lake Catfish Baits.