Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
DPR 523A (09/2013) *Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
PRIMARY RECORD
Review Code Reviewer Date
Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
Page 1 of 9
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI#: None
Trinomial #: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3S / 3CS / 5S2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 485
*P3b. Resource Attributes: HP22. Lake / River / Reservoir
*P4. Resources Present: ¨ Building ý Structure o Object o Site o District o Element of District o Other
P5b. Description of Photo: Lake Cahuilla
Reservoir_ 1: View facing east from the west bank
of the reservoir.
*P6. Date Constructed/Age and Source
ýHistoric: 1969; Arcadia pg. 97, Bailey and
Biondi pg. 33
o Prehistoric
o Both
*P7. Owner and Address:
USA 761
US Department of the Interior,
Washington, DC, 21401
*P8. Recorded by:
Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC
www.urbanapreservation.com
*P9. Date Recorded: June-July 2022
*P10. Survey Type:
Citywide Survey; Intensive Level
*P3a. Description: The Lake Cahuilla Revervoir is a part of Coachella Valley Water District. The lake is cement-lined and sealed with a six-
inch layer of soil cement. It was constructed in 1969 at the base of the foothills of the Santa Rosa Mountains as a reserve storage facility for
irriagation water. The lake is located on approximately 135 acres, and has a capacity of approximately 1,500 acre-feet of water. The lake is the
terminal end of the Coachella Branch of the All-American irrigation canal. The lake is surrounded by trails and recreation space.
P1. Other Identifier: N/A
*P2. Location: o Not for Publication ý Unrestricted
*a. County: Riverside
*b. USGS 7.5' Quad: La Quinta Date: 2021 T ; R ; ¼ of ¼ of Sec ; B.M. __
c. Address: 58075 Jefferson Street City: La Quinta Zip: 92253
d. UTM Zone: 11S, 567262.76 mE / 3721705.14 mN
e. Other Locational Data: N/A
Neighborhood: Not Listed; APN: 762010005, 762010006, 762040008, 76040009, 762040010, 762040012, 762040011,
766061006
*P11. Report Citation: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC. La Quinta Citywide Historical Resources Survey and Context Statement,
2023.
*Attachments: o None ý Location Map ý Continuation Sheet ý Building, Structure, and Object Record
o Archaeological Record o District Record o Linear Feature Record o Milling Station Record o Rock Art
Record o Artifact Record o Photograph Record o Other:
DPR 523B (09/2013) *Required information
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
BUILDING, STRUCTURE, AND OBJECT RECORD
Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
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(This space reserved for official comments.)
Primary#:
HRI#:
Trinomial #:
CRHR Status Code: 3S / 3CS / 5S2
Other Listings:
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 485
B1. Historic Name: N/A
B2. Common Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
B3. Original Use: Reservoir B4. Present Use: Reservoir
*B5. Architectural Style: N/A
B11. Additional Resource Attributes: None Identified
*B12. References: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC. La Quinta Citywide Historical
Resources Survey and Context Statement, 2023. See Continuation Sheet for additional
references.
B13. Remarks: None
*B14. Evaluator: Urbana Preservation & Planning, LLC | www.urbanapreservation.com
*Date of Evaluation: December 2022
The Lake Cahuilla Reservoir was researched at the City of La Quinta, the La Quinta Historical Society, the La Quinta Public Library, and via
online archives including Coachella Valley Telephone Directories (1946-1957), City of La Quinta building permits, regional newspapers within
the UC Riverside California Digital Newspaper Collection, aerial imagery from ca. 1930s forward, and the Riverside County Assessor's Office
online property search. See Continuation Sheet for significance and integrity conclusions.
*B6. Construction History: The Coachella Valley Water District constructed the Lake Cahuilla Reservoir in 1969. The lake and
surrounding park facilities are currently operated by the Riverside County Parks Department. The reservoir functions as terminal regulating
reservoir for the Coachella Canal. Contracts for the first two sections of the Coachella Canal were awarded in 1938 and 1939. Workers
completed a total of 43.4 miles of canal in 1940. By the end of 1941, the first 75 miles of canal had been completed. However, the US entry
into World War Two after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, put an end to construction for the duration of the war.
Construction resumed after the war and the first deliveries from the Coachella Canal irrigation distribution system were made in March of
1949.
*B7. Moved? ý No o Yes o Unknown Date: N/A Original Location: N/A
*B8. Related Features: Cochella Canal and associated system
B9a. Architect: Not Identified b. Builder: Not Identified
*B10. Significance:
Theme: Ranching and Agriculture, 1900 – 1970s Area: City of La Quinta
Period of Significance: 1969 - 1970s Property Type: Infrastructure Applicable Criteria: NRHP / CRHR / Local eligible
(A/1/B(events))
DPR 523J (09/2013) *Required Information
*Map Name: La Quinta *Scale: 1:24,000 *Map Date: 2021
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
LOCATION MAP
Primary#: None
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No. 485 Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
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DPR 523L (09/2013)
Primary Record Information Continued:
Lake Cahuilla Reservoir_ 2: View facing southeast from the west bank of the reservoir.
Lake Cahuilla Reservoir_ 3: View facing east from the west bank of the reservoir.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 485 Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
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DPR 523L (09/2013)
Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
B10. Statement of Significance Continued:
The Lake Cahuilla Reservoir was not previously evaluated. The Coachella Valley Water District constructed the Lake Cahuilla Reservoir in 1969. The
arrival of the canal into the Coachella Valley had a tremendous impact on the valley’s agricultural economy. Crop patterns changed over the years
with the availability of supplementary canal water.
The reservoir is directly associated with the theme of Ranches and Agriculture (1900-1970s) and possesses individual documented significance related
to this theme. The property is assigned the 3S, 3SC, and 5S2 status codes: appears eligible for NR individually through survey evaluation, appears
eligible for CR individually through survey evaluation, and individually eligible for local listing or designation.
The reservoir is eligible under NRHP/CRHR/Local Criterion A/1/B, as it is associated with the history of ranching and farming in the Coachella Valley.
The reservoir is not individually eligible under Criterion B/2/B, as it has not been identified as having an association with an important person. The
reservoir is not individually eligible under Criterion C/3/C, as it does not embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of
construction; and it is not individually eligible under Criterion D/4/D, as further study of the reservoir would not appear to yield information which
could be considered important in local, regional, state, or national history. Additionally, the reservoir was not found to be individually eligible under
Local Register Criterion A, as it was not found to exemplify a special element of the City of La Quinta. The reservoir has not been substantially altered
and maintains integrity to the historic period.
B10. References Continued:
Riverside County Assessor Records; City of La Quinta Building Permit Records; La Quinta Historical Society Research Collection; Coachella Valley
Telephone Directories (1946-1957); California Digital Newspaper Collection, University of California Riverside; Digital Newspaper Collection,
Genealogybank.com; Digital Newspaper Collection, Newspapers.com; Digital Collection, Ancestry.com; Online Historic Aerial Photographs, Historic
Aerials.com; University California Santa Barbara Online Historic Aerial Collection; U.S. Department of the Interior Earth Explorer Historic Aerial
Collection; La Quinta Design and Development Department, City of La Quinta Historic Context Statement, 2011; and La Quinta Historical Society,
Images of America: La Quinta, 2020.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 485 Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
Page 5 of 9
DPR 523L (09/2013)
Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
Desert Sun, August 15, 1969.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 485 Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
Page 6 of 9
DPR 523L (09/2013)
Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
Desert Sun, September 26, 1969.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 485 Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
Page 7 of 9
DPR 523L (09/2013)
Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
Desert Sun, October 15, 1969.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 485 Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
Page 8 of 9
DPR 523L (09/2013)
Building, Structure, Object Information Continued:
Desert Sun, February 16, 1971.
State of California — The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
CONTINUATION SHEET
Primary#: P-33-xxx
HRI #: None
Trinomial: N/A
CRHR Status Code: 3D / 3CD / 5D2
Other Listings: Urbana Survey No.: 485 Resource Name: Lake Cahuilla Reservoir
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