History

Lake Almanor is one of the largest man-made lakes in California. In the shadow of Mt. Lassen, surrounded by mountains covered by pine and fir trees, Almanor is also a beautiful lake with an abundance of recreational opportunity.

Lake Almanor was created in 1914 as a hydroelectric facility by the Great Western Power Company. The name "Almanor" originated by combining the names of three sisters, Alice, Martha and Elinore, daughters of Guy C. Earl, Vice President.

The Great Western Power Company later became part of Pacific Gas and Electric company (P.G.& E.) who, along with the forest Service, developed Lake Almanor into a beautiful recreation area. The lake rests at an elevation of 4,500 feet, is thirteen miles long and six miles wide, and is approximately 90 feet deep at its deepest point (when the lake is full). The present dam was constructed in 1926-1927, stores 1,308,000 acre feet of water and covers 28,000 acres of land.