Lake Pleasant
Lake Pleasant, is one of the important artificial reservoirs
surrounding the Phoenix metropolitan area. Created by the Waddell
(Pleasant) Dam, which was finished in 1927, the lake originally had a
surface area of 3,700 acres and served as a private
irrigation project. The lake was filled by the Agua
Fria River, capturing a large watershed throughout Yavapai County. Construction of the Central Arizona Project Aqueduct, which began in 1973, diverted water from the Colorado River to the lake, converting the lake from an agricultural project into a storage reservoir for the project. Completed in 1994, the New Waddell Dam
tripled the surface area of the lake, submerging the old dam beneath
its waters. Shortly after the completion of the dam, the area
experienced a prolonged drought, and while the lake grew considerably it would not reach full capacity until early 2005. Although still fed by the Agua Fria River, the CAP aqueduct is the primary source of water for the reservoir.
