El Capitan Lake

El Capitan Lake or Reservoir is located in Santa Barbara, California as a major water formation serving the city and surrounding area. The reservoir was manmade with the El Capitan Dam. The construction on the site was completed in 1935. This was also the year the city's water system was connected by El Capitan Pipeline with the lake. The town and reservoir is 30 miles northeast of San Diego, running along the San Diego River. El Capitan has the largest system in the state with 1,562 surface acres of water, a depth of 197 feet, and 22 miles of shoreline when the lake is full. There is a storage capacity of 112,806 acres. These water levels are monitored weekly to ensure no flooding or other dangers are going to occur.

Anyone 8 years or older will be charged a daily use fee for visiting El Capitan Reservoir. There is a recreation area with three barbecues, eight picnic tables, and no ground fires are permitted. They also do not allow glass into the park. Dogs must be on leashes and 50 feet from the water at all times. The water is used for drinking so no dogs or humans are allowed in the water.