James J. Lenihan Dam - Los Gatos, CA
Posted by: 
DougK
N 37° 12.089 W 121° 59.336
10S E 589724 N 4117702
Quick Description: The Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos, California, is created by the James J. Lenihan Dam.
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 10/16/2009 12:09:03 PM
Waymark Code: WM7EYY
Views: 1
Long Description:The Lexington reservoir is in the foothills of the Santa Cruz
Mountains, at an elevation of 645 feet. It is the result of a 1,000
foot thick earthen dam across the Los Gatos Creek. In 1997, the
Lexington Dam was renamed to be the
"http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM7EFN">James J. Lenihan
Dam.
Excerpt from
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington_Reservoir"target="_blank">
Wikipedia :
In 1943, the Santa Clara Valley Water District identified
that the well water in the Santa Clara Valley was being diminished
at a rapid rate and a dam was needed on the Los Gatos Creek, two
miles (3 km) south of Los Gatos. One goal was to percolate the
water into the ground and ultimately increase the amount of well
water available. After rerouting State Route 17 near Windy Point
which is a mile south of Los Gatos, dam construction began in the
spring of 1952 and was completed in the fall of 1952.
The reservoir covered the towns of Lexington and Alma. Alma
and Lexington reached their peak population in the mid-1800s, when
about 200 people lived in each. Each of the towns had a post
office, hotel, saloons, blacksmith shops, and half a dozen redwood
sawmills. Lexington was the halfway stop for stagecoaches running
between San Jose and Santa Cruz. The town served as a place to
switch from a team of four horses to six horses to get over the
mountains. Lexington declined after 1880 when the narrow gauge
railroad from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz bypassed it, while Alma
declined when Highway 17 bypassed it in 1940. The railroad ceased
operations in 1940. By 1950, only about 100 people lived in the two
communities.