Harry L. Englebright Lake

Harry L. Englebright Lake (also called Englebright Reservoir) is an artificial lake on the Yuba River north of Smartsville. It is formed by Englebright Dam. Its elevation is 525 feet. The lake and the dam are named for Harry L. Englebright, a Republican congressman who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1926 to 1943.

Dam

Englebright Dam was built in 1941 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was designed partly to prevent the massive quantities of debris that were dumped into the river by hydraulic mining during the Gold Rush from being carried farther downstream.

Two tunnels at the dam move water to the turbines that generate electricity in the Narrows 1 Powerhouse (owned by PG&E) and the Narrows 2 Powerhouse (owned by the Yuba County Water Agency). The two powerhouses are located on opposite sides of the river.

Recreation Area

Skipper's Cove Marina provides a full gas dock, a general store, and a boat-in campground. Houseboats, party boats, and ski and fishing boats are available for rent. Camping, fishing, swimming, and water skiing are permitted.

There are two RV campsites with full hook-ups. All other campsites are boat-in only; they cannot be reached by car. Boat-in campsites are available on the beach or in coves, on the lake or on the river. Each boat-in campsite includes a picnic table, fire grill, lantern hanger, and access to a nearby restroom. Plastic bags are provided for campers to pack out their own trash. It is not possible to reserve a campsite in advance.

Drive-in picnic sites with barbecues are available for day use. These are all located at the base of Englebright Dam. One drive-in group picnic area is available by reservation only.

There is also drive-in access to a hiking and fishing trail (featuring many benches!) that winds around the shore between the Joe Miller Marina boat ramp and the Headquarters boat ramp.

Links

Englebright Lake
Englebright Lake entry on Wikipedia