Every Lake
San Vicente Reservoir
San Vicente Dam went up in 1943, then rose 117 feet more by 2014.
- 9 ft · first step
- 18 ft
- 28 ft
- 37 ft
- 46 ft
- 55 ft · bottom
About San Vicente Reservoir
San Vicente Dam was completed in 1943 near Lakeside, roughly 25 miles northeast of downtown San Diego, forming San Vicente Reservoir on San Vicente Creek. Between 2009 and 2014 the San Diego County Water Authority raised the dam by 117 feet using roller-compacted concrete, substantially increasing its storage capacity as part of the region's emergency water supply project. The reservoir sits in the foothills near Cleveland National Forest and is owned and operated by the water authority rather than a municipal parks department.
Public access to San Vicente has cycled between open and closed for decades, alternating recreational seasons with stretches reserved strictly for drinking water storage. When open, it draws anglers after striped bass and stocked rainbow trout, along with rowers and open-water swimmers who use its calm, no-wake water for training. The reservoir has hosted an annual open-water swim tied to Navy special warfare training out of nearby Coronado. No private homes line the shore, since the surrounding land belongs to the water authority.
- 11 roads engraved around the shore, 0 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.
San Vicente Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a San Vicente Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 18 ft, 28 ft, 37 ft, 46 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 55 ft. The lake covers about 1.7 square miles, and 11 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 San Vicente 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 San Vicente 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 San Vicente Reservoir.
San Vicente 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 San Vicente Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. San Vicente 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 55 ft
- 1.7 square miles of water
- 11 shore roads engraved
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
