Almaden Reservoir is an artificial lake in the hills south of San Jose, California in the United States. It borders on the 4163 acre Almaden Quicksilver County Park, which provides limited fishing ("catch-and-release"), picnicking, hiking, and horseback riding activities. Swimming and boating are not permitted in the reservoir. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has issued a "Do Not Eat" advisory for any fish caught in Almaden Reservoir due to elevated levels of mercury.

History

The reservoir was formed by the Almaden Dam, built in 1936 across Alamitos Creek near the community of New Almaden. Its waters reach the San Francisco Bay by way of the Guadalupe River. It is one of the smaller reservoirs owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

Almaden Dam

Almaden Dam is an earthen dam 110 ft high and 500 ft long containing 250000 cuyd of material. Its crest is 615 ft above sea level.