Where is lake henshaw

Bow fishermen have also taken notice of the carp population at Henshaw. There is an underrated bass fishery at Henshaw as well, particularly in periods of high water when largemouth bass flood the shallow brush in the spring.

The dam at Lake Henshaw was built in to facilitate the growing need for water storage in the North County of San Diego. Henshaw boasts a spacious camping area with modern facilities and full service hookups are available on a first come, first served basis.

Canoes, kayaks and other small boats are not permitted. For information on the current fees, visit the Lake Henshaw Resort website. That is because 43, acres of land are protected. The land has been owned by the Vista Irrigation District since They are responsible for providing water from Lake Henshaw to thousands of North County residents. But what is the history of this land?

The river begins in the Cleveland National Forest and runs mostly along Highway 76, spitting out into the ocean in the town Oceanside. When the bands were forced onto reservations, they were intentionally put in areas with access to water so they could grow crops. Almost as soon as the reservations were formed, the government entered into a contract with William G. Henshaw to dam up a portion of the river to create a reservoir with the intent of diverting the water for irrigation.

The bands disputed the contract, which eventually went to court where the court ruled in Henshaw's favor. Soon after the ruling, the dam was built. Those two sources are mixed at a water treatment facility next to the lake and then taken by flume to the people of Vista and Escondido.

Very quickly it was noticed that during dry years, the water would hardly flow through the reservations and their wells would dry up. In the 5 bands went to the Indian Claims Commission to seek restitution from the government for failure to protect their land and water rights. Men working on the pipe dam in , photo from San Diego Historical Society. Part of their request was access to Quechla's water so they could continue to develop their lands agriculturally.

Government and the City of Escondido. The fight for their water rights took 50 years to come to justice but it was finally met! Patty was determined to reclaim her people's water rights and nothing would stop her until justice was served. In , the settlement guarantees the 5 bands equal annual access to more than 5 billion gallons of Colorado River water.

Should they not need all of the water, the agreement was that they must sell the excess water to the cities of Vista and Escondido at market rates. Sadly, most of the elders that were originally fighting for the water rights never got to witness the feat. But it was never about instant gratification, instead, it was about creating better living situations for the future generations.

The dam is unable to provide flood protection to the Natives living at the La Jolla, Pala and Rincon reservations below. Laborers working on the dam, photo from the Escondido Historical Society. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Not a member? Register here.