French Meadows Reservoir



French Meadows Reservoir is a manmade lake 36 mi northeast of Foresthill, California, United States on the Middle Fork of the American River. The reservoir is 2.9 mi long, 0.6 mi wide, with 7.3 mi of shoreline.

Tahoe National Forest manages the recreational facilities which include five campgrounds, two group campgrounds and two paved boat launch ramps. Activities at the lake include powerboating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, picnicking and hiking. The reservoir is entirely within a state game refuge so no firearms, pellet guns or archery weapons are allowed.

The elevation of the lake is 5263 ft, and it is nine miles (14 km) from the crest of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for French Meadows Reservoir based on levels of mercury found in fish caught here.

History
The reservoir was built in December 1964 with the construction on the Middle Fork of the American River of the L. L. Anderson Dam. The dam is rock-fill with earth core. The capacity of the reservoir is 125601 acre.ft of water. French Meadows Reservoir is part of the Middle Fork Project for hydroelectric power generation and most of its water is diverted to the French Meadows Powerhouse, located along the north shore of Hell Hole Reservoir, by a tunnel. Releases from French Meadows Reservoir to the powerhouse began one year later, December 13, 1965. A minimal "fish flow" is released into the natural waterway of the Middle Fork of the American River for fish and wildlife habitat considerations. The project is operated by the Placer County Water Agency.

In September 2022, the area surrounding the reservoir was closed by the forest service due to the Mosquito Fire.