Lake
Pleasant
14,000
Acres (about 45 miles of shoreline),
Fishing,
Water Skiing, Boat Camping Areas,
Boat Ramps ( $ 6.00 ) admission fee.
Visitors Information Center, Boat Rental, limited picnic
resources on the County Side, more resources on the
Private Side. A small portion of the lake is inaccessible
from December until middle June (due to nesting Eagles).
Lake
Pleasant, metropolitan Phoenix's ultimate boating playground,
is just what you need to splash-up your life. Located
just 30 minutes north of downtown, Arizona's second
largest lake offers easy access with 4 public boat launch
ramps, ample parking and a dazzling full-service marina
. Pleasant Harbor Marina is a boater's oasis, including
boat and Rhino Rider rentals, ship store and deli, covered
and uncovered wet slips, executive and repair services,
dry storage, a houseboat center, paddle wheeler cruises,
plus a dockside bar.
This is the closest lake to Phoenix located off off
I-17 and Arizona State Route 74 west, just a few minutes
north of Phoenix.
NEWS
for immediate release
May 12, 2003
Parks and Recreation Department 411
N. Central Avenue, Suite 470 Phoenix, AZ 85004 www.maricopa.gov/parks
For more information contact: Rand Hubbell, Marketing
Coordinator (602) 506-1114
Fire Ban in Maricopa County Parks begins May 15th Maricopa
County - Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department
will implement a ban on open fires in their regional
park and recreation areas beginning Thursday, May 15th.
The ban prohibits the use of wood or charcoal briquettes.
Campers and picnickers in Maricopa County Parks will
still be allowed to use gas stoves in designated camp
and picnic sites. Parks Department Director, Bill Scalzo
stated that, "The temporary inconvenience caused by
the fire ban has been widely accepted by our park visitors.
They have indicated that they share our deep concern
for the safety of the regional park system." Estrella
Mountain Regional Park, south of Goodyear, in the west
valley is the only park in the county regional park
system which has a turf area. The use of briquettes
will be allowed in the grills located within the grass
area, until conditions change significantly. The Parks
Department will continue to offer its wide range of
events including guided hikes, stargazing programs and
moonlight hikes throughout the summer months. Updates
on the Fire Ban and a list of scheduled events can be
found on the Parks Department's web site at www.maricopa.gov/parks
.
Lake
Pleasant Regional Park
Park Supervisor Darci Kinsman
DarciKinsman@mail.maricopa.gov
41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Rd.
Morristown, AZ 85342
Contact Station 1-928-501-1710
Operations Center (602) 372-7460
Fax 1-928-501-1704
The
"Carl" Pleasant Dam, later renamed Waddell
Dam, was constructed between 1926 and 1928, creating
the upper portion of the Lake. At this time it was the
largest agricultural Dam in the world. The Dam stood
76 feet in height and 2,160 feet in length. At 126 feet
above streambed, its elevation was 1,601 feet. It created
a Lake with 3,706 surface acres of water having a shoreline
of 50 plus miles. The objective was to impound runoff
waters, from the Agua Fria River and the Bradshaw Mountains,
for irrigation purposes. The dam was built by the predecessor
to the Maricopa County Municipal Water Conservation
District #1. The Maricopa County Municipal Water District,
based in Beardsley, Arizona, continues to manage the
irrigation system for the benefit of west valley farmers.
In 1959, Maricopa County leased State Trust land and
Federal land to form a park surrounding the lake. Since
1969, Maricopa County Municipal Water Conservation District
and the County have maintained a cooperative relationship
whereby farmers and the recreating public have realized
the maximum utilization of this water resource.
