Every Lake
Lake Mathews
The Colorado River Aqueduct's final stop, finished in 1938 and named for a lawyer, not a fisherman.
- 13 ft · first step
- 26 ft
- 40 ft
- 53 ft
- 66 ft
- 79 ft · bottom
About Lake Mathews
Lake Mathews was formed in 1938 when the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California completed an earthen dam on the site, creating the final storage reservoir for the Colorado River Aqueduct. The lake is named for William B. Mathews, the district's first general counsel, who helped secure the water rights and financing that built the aqueduct system. Water pumped from the Colorado River across the desert settles here before being treated and distributed to cities across the region.
The reservoir sits in Riverside County southwest of the city of Riverside, ringed by the Lake Mathews-Estelle Mountain Ecological Reserve, an expanse of chaparral and grassland set aside for golden eagles and other raptors. Because it supplies drinking water, the lake itself has long been closed to public swimming, boating, and fishing, unlike most reservoirs its size. Visitors mostly come for the surrounding trails and eagle-watching rather than the water, a working utility asset more than a recreation lake.
- 45 roads engraved around the shore, 5 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.
Lake Mathews depth chart, in wood
This is a Lake Mathews depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 13 ft, 26 ft, 40 ft, 53 ft, 66 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 79 ft. The lake covers about 3.7 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 Lake Mathews 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 Lake Mathews 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 Lake Mathews.
Lake Mathews 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 Lake Mathews; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Lake Mathews 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 79 ft
- 3.7 square miles of water
- 45 shore roads engraved, 5 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
