User:Vickie.vang/sandbox

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I have chose Lake Natoma to write about. There is already an article so I will add on to an existing article about Lake Natoma. I would like to talk about the history, give background information, geography biota life, and environmental issues.

Lake Natoma Outline

-History

-Geography

-Flora and Fauna

-Environmental Issues

-Water Quality

-Were there changes to ecosystem

-Conservation Effort

-Recreational activities

Lake Natoma Draft
Lake Natoma is an intermediate lake along the lower American River, located between Folsom Dam and Nimbus Dam in Sacramento County, in the U.S. state of California. The lake is located within the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. From the Folsom Lake Dam, Lake Natoma is located East of Sacramento, Ca, and is about 500 acres of surface area away from the dam. Being the afterbay of Folsom Dam, it is nearly one mile away from the dam.

It is a recreational lake for rowing, kayaking and swimming. Powerboats are permitted with a 5 mph "no wake" restriction. Lake Natoma is also home to the Sacramento State Aquatic Center, and regularly hosts West Coast College Rowing Championships, the Pac-12 Conference rowing championships, and, every four years, the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. The Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon is held each October at the lake.

Lake Natoma includes the historic Negro Bar area in Folsom, the site of a gold rush era African-American mining camp.

The Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park overlooks Lake Natoma in the city of Folsom. It is a California State Historical site, preserving an early hydroelectric power station.

A paved cycling and jogging trail encircles the lake along with unpaved equestrian trails. The Folsom South Canal Trail also begins at the lake. Several parking lots and boat launching ramps are also located around the lake.

History
In the 1950s, after Folsom Dam was built, the Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma was built to manage water flow for the lower American River released from Folsom Dam. Lake Natoma is a water reservoir, built by the Central Valley Project. This resoviour not only maintain water flow but provides water, generates energy supply, and prevents flood. After Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake was built, the Bureau of Recamation had control of operation. The area used to be a mining site for gold, there are many evidences of mining. Around 1956, the Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as State Parks, went under an agreement that State Parks will be responsible for recreational activities on Lake Natoma, including Folsom Lake.

In 1979, the general plan for State Recreational Area in the Folsom Lake, including Lake Natoma, was amended three times before it was approved. Since the new amendment, recreations in water and on land did change. There were more watercrafts that involves skiis, boards, and kayaking while the trails next to Lake Natoma was only used for hiking. Now, the land activities are for more than just hiking. As part of the 1979 General Plan amendment, the Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park had become a separate unit, not a part of the Folsom Unit.

In 2002, multiple meetings were held for public input and for interested stakeholder to plan and prepare for recreational purposes adequate enough for the growing populations, there was a 62% increase in population since the General Plan was accepted in 1979.

Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park
To the west bank of Lake Natoma lies the Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park, known as a historic site, and located right in the City of Folsom at the intersection of Riley and Scott Streets. The Folsom Powerhouse brought in the first powerhouses that generated in 1985. The powerhouse opened until 1952 because the Folsom Dam ruined the old dam to the powerhouse during construction. This historic site used to bring 11,000 volts over long distances, 22 miles, to Sacramento for energy. The site is under the National Register of Historic Places. There is a visitor center where the public can learn more about the history of Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park.

Physical Features
Surrounding this narrow lake are some geologic features. Those features are foothills, plateaus, cliffs and river canyons. The famous cliff lining the lake, is called Lake Natoma Bluffs that stands 300 feet high and a large upland that Lake Natoma Bluffs reaches to, called Mississippi Bar; there is a riparian that runs 14 miles along the lake. The Lake Natoma Bluffs lines the lake from the Negro Bar to the Mississippi Bar.

Recreational Activities
There are many activities people come to this body of water for, especially in the summer, and the way to reach the area is accessible because of nearby freeways. Since these resovoirs are located in the metropolitan area, the State Recreational Area (SRA) does try to create a habitat suitable for the wildlife that are already living there, to have both "recreation and nature." By 2000, there was over 1.5 million visitors to this unit, the unit is Folsom Lake State Recreation Area involving Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake.

Water and Land Uses
Lake Natoma is part of the is am important part of recreational purpose by the State Recreational Area (SRA) managed and built by State Parks, which was first ready for the public in 1958, Lake Natoma brings nearly 50% of visits and most water activity that happens there are paddling. From Folsom Lake to Lake Natoma, just the scenic view is enough to be an eye catching recreational visually. The common water activities are kayaking, rowing, canoeing, swimming, water skiing, sailing, and fishing. While there are more activities that is available to do on land such as hiking, biking, picnicking, jogging, biking, and horseback riding. Part of the recreational activities are to provide education too. Included with the education are the historical sites nearby Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake, the common fish that spawns in the American River, history of gold rush, and Native American lives before the Europeans.

Boat Launch
The lake has three boat launches that are design to launch off powerboats, jetskis, and sailboats. These launches are well designed with hard surfaces and enough room to turn around with parking areas next to every launches. Fisherman likes to use Folsom Point to launch, as many fishing tournament events occurs near this launch. Another interesting activity that does occur at Folsom Point are how California State University Sacramento (CSUS) holds waterski classes at the same area.

Campgrounds
There are three campgrounds open to the public, These includes Peninsula Campground, Beals Point Campground, and Negro Bar Group Campground.

Willow Creek
Located at the Willow Creek inlet to Lake Natoma, people likes to use this area for both land and water activities. The area is a great spot to have picnics, watch birds, fish, and canoe. With the Willow Creek is a trail, called Lake Natoma Trail.

Negro Bar
The Negro Bar is another day facility that lines one mile of Lake Natoma shoreline from the Lake Natoma Bluffs to the south and Old Rainbow Bridge. At the lower portion Lake Natoma is great for picnics as there are shades. Also, there are tables and one restroom available. The area is also a nice place to fish, paddle, swim, and sunbathe.

Aquatic Center for CSUS
Where the Nimbus Dam end, there is an Aquatic Center right on Lake Natoma that belongs to the California State University Sacramento (CSUS). There are multiple departments of CSUS that is a cooperative operation for the center. This is where CSUS hold some of their aquatic classes such as ski and wind surf. The CSUS Aquatic Center is planning to expand where there will be more rooms to add for the center.

Bike Path
A bike path follows along the East Trail and West Trail of Nimbus Dam that lines Lake Natoma.

Dirt Trails
There is a six mile trail that are dirt trails leading to Nimbus Flat and Willow Creek. The dirt trails are on both sides of Lake Natoma, one is six miles and other is nine miles.

Nimbus Fish Hatchery
Under Nimbus Dam and Lake Natoma lies the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, operated by the California Department of Fish and Games, that was built in 1955, built by the U.S Bureau of Reclamation. The California Department of Fish and Games operates a visitor center on this hatchery. The hatchery is a facility that replicates spawning environments by creating a fish ladder that guides salmon and steelheads to spawn artificially. For recreational fishing in the northern and Central California bodies of water, Nimbus Fish Hatchery produces 4 million Chinook salmon and over 400,000 Steelhead trout per year.

Vegetation
woodland, grasslands, willow riparian plants, and chaparral that are mainly the Sierra foothill vegetation.

Animals
Native animals known to inhabit here are mule deer, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, quail, bald and golden eagles, herons, egrets, western pond turtle, and California horned lizard. Blue oak woodlands

Mercury
Fish at Lake Natoma was found to have high levels of mercury in tissue. In a experiment, fish sample of 22 showed that mercury levels had approached or exceed guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is set at 3 microgram Hg/g wet weight. Since there were not enough or too little samples, it was not known for sure if mercury is randomly distributed throughout Lake Natoma. Concentration of mercury increases as size of fish increase, usually because of bioaccumulation. Size include length, weight, and age. For example, predators that are on the top of the food chains such as large bass mouth, spotted bass, and white catfish usually have higher concentrations.