Every Lake
Briones Reservoir
Built in 1964 to hold Mokelumne River water for the East Bay
- 11 ft · first step
- 21 ft
- 32 ft
- 43 ft
- 54 ft
- 64 ft · bottom
About Briones Reservoir
Briones Reservoir sits in Contra Costa County east of Berkeley, formed when the East Bay Municipal Utility District completed Briones Dam across Bear Creek in 1964. Its water arrives mostly by aqueduct from the Mokelumne River in the Sierra foothills, over ninety miles east, rather than from local rainfall alone. The reservoir functions as a terminal storage point for the East Bay's municipal water supply, feeding the district's treatment plants before the water reaches taps in Berkeley, Oakland, and surrounding communities.
No motorized boats or swimming are permitted, since the reservoir remains part of the working water supply, but a perimeter trail draws hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers year-round. Anglers fish for trout and bass with a district-issued permit, casting from the shoreline or small rented rowboats rather than personal craft. The surrounding land is managed as watershed, kept largely undeveloped, which has made the loop popular with birdwatchers tracking raptors and waterfowl across the seasons.
- 45 roads engraved around the shore, 4 of them labeled
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
Briones Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Briones Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 11 ft, 21 ft, 32 ft, 43 ft, 54 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 64 ft. The lake covers about 0.8 square miles, and 45 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Briones Reservoir map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on Briones Reservoir for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your Briones Reservoir.
Briones Reservoir map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of Briones Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Briones Reservoir is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 64 ft
- 0.8 square miles of water
- 45 shore roads engraved, 4 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
