lake-shasta.net

Northern California was inhabited by several groups of Native American tribes prior to the arrival of European settlers to the region. The Lake Shasta region was home to the Atsugewi and Yana tribes. The Atsugewi Indians (”pine-tree people”) occupied the “rugged lava-strewn valleys north of Mount Lassen”

The Yana Indians extended to the southwest of Mount Lassen, and remained adjacent to the eastern foothills, depending on vegetables and acorns as their main staple food. Nowadays, this tribe is endangered and it is estimated that there are fewer than 2,000 Yana descendants living on the Redding Rancheria.

However, centuries ago the Native American population in the Shasta area was considerable even after the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, concentrating a large number of missions along the coast of California, region that mostly remained uninhabited for the following centuries, until the gold fever hit California in the19th century.

The discovery of gold in the 1840s brought to northern California literally floods of immigrants to the state, most of them gold seekers and miners. The lure of easy money through gold discovery and later gambling fever developed in nearby Lake Tahoe impacted agriculture in the Central Valley in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Farmers began searching for the plan to face the withdraw of workers and the problematic with irrigation and water supply. Then, California designed the Central Valley Project to control the Sacramento River floods, transferring water to the dry lands of the San Joaquin Valley, however, the state found itself unable to finance the project.

In the beginning, the project was not approved for loans and grants under the National Recovery Act, even when Harry W. Bashore reported the relief project to Reclamation, remarking that the Kennett Reservoir, later Shasta Lake, would be the cornerstone for the entire Central Valley Project. Therefore, California applied to the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works (FEA) for grants and loans.

The FEA created the Water Project Authority, and a Committee on Rivers and Harbors of the House of Representatives was responsible for the suggestion of the construction of Kennett Dam, citing the national benefits in flood control and navigation on the Sacramento River, recommending involvement by the Federal government for $12 million in cost of such a project.

After a number of investigations and reviewing the plan was approved by the California Joint Federal-State Water Resources Commission, the United States Senate Committee on Irrigation and Reclamation, Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, recommended the plan to President Franklin D. Roosevelt

President Roosevelt approved the Central Valley Project on December 2, 1935. In December 1935, the initial exploration of the Kennett Dam site cleared out and re-timbered several of the many exploratory tunnels. Drilling on the area revealed ancient, re-crystallized, volcanic rock, and work crews began experimental washing and grouting.

On March 25, 1936, a cooperative agreement to coordinate the CVP and the California State Water Project was executed by the California Water Project Authority and the United States. Representatives of labor federation councils and labor organizations presented some objections by then based on wage scales.

The State Attorney General ruled on the case counseling future relations between government, contractors, and workers. Finally, Congress re-authorized the project in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1937, announcing the construction of the large concrete dam to solve the problem and provide energy and water management in the region.

Shasta County was immediately flooded with job seekers and workers who previously were enrolled in government irrigation and water projects in Western states. Hundreds of cars, tents, and cramped trailers were accommodated to serve as lodging facilities for the dam’s workers. The original project by William and Gene Hammans was distributed among 3 companies.

After receiving their contracts, those companies constructed buildings and water systems for the camp, that was finished in early 1938. L. R. Kronschnabel, J.J. Humphreys, Charles McConnell and Albert Rouge joined forces to purchase large tracts of land in the surrounding areas, focusing on the idea of subdividing their holdings.

By then, Reclamation Commissioner John C. Page officially renamed Kennett Dam as Shasta Dam, after Mount Shasta, home to the Shasta Indians traditionally living in the Siskyou County, thus a name having historic and geographic significance, while Kennett came from the nearby railroad way station in Sacramento Canyon, situated above the dam site.

After several disruptions, labor disputes, conflicts between constructor companies modification on-site, involving the Southern Pacific transferred its railroad tunnel for river diversion in 1942, World War II caused a labor turnover, when workers left to take more defense industry jobs or join the military the dam was finally completed.

The final concrete on the dam structure was laid on December 22, 1944. and the final concrete in the Shasta’s Vista House Power plant and additional complementary projects throughout the year of 1945, continue its development until the present

Located at the northern end of the Sacramento Valley, 160 miles from Sacramento City, and about 120 miles south of the Oregon state line, Shasta Lake City had a population of 9,008 as of the 2000 census. Redding, another city in Shasta County, had a population of 80,865 people in the same period, reaching 84,600 during 2002.

Comparing these figures with those of 1990, the population annual growth rate has been 2%, growing also reflected in the California’s great Central Valley housing market. Lake Shasta is located at the very top of this area, nestled between lush green mountains, characteristic of the Shasta County.

Real Estate in Lake Shasta County includes also other cities and towns, where demand or resale value has increased, such as Anderson, Bella Vista, Cottonwood, Dunsmuir, Igo,. Lakehead, Millville, Oak Run, O’Brien, Old Shasta, Ono, Palo Cedro, Shingletown, Whitmore, and both Redding and Shasta Lake.

The Shasta Lake Real Estate Market has showed off favorable sales statistics and real estate price trends. As of the 2000 census, there were 3,391 households, and 2,377 families residing in Shasta Lake City, were 3,732 housing units were found at an average density of 342.0 miles square.

Median income for a household was $26,275, while median income for a family was $33,010, with 20.1% of the population and 16.5% of families below the poverty line. The average household size was 2.64, and the average family size was 3.09. 34.3% households had children under the age of 18 living with them, and 48.5% were married couples living together.

Properties’ average sales price for March 2006 was $255,000 for a one-bedroom house, $184,275 for a two-bedroom house, $196,300 for a three-bedroom house, and $318,000 for a four-bedroom house. The average sales price per square foot was $164 $198, $150, and $167 for 1 to 4 bedrooms properties respectively.

Major Real Estate demand was for 3-bed properties, followed by 2-bed and 1-bed properties, while 4-bed properties had no significant demand for the same period. Median price asked for housing units in Lake Shasta was $82,300, while the State average prices was $151,900. Average cost for Single-family new house construction building permits $105,200 for 56 building in 2004.

Lake Shasta’s median value of owner-occupied housing units was $91,100, in comparison with the State average of $211,500. Comparing Shasta per capita income, the figures reflect $13, 678, against $22,711 State average. Also in March 2006, Lake Shasta’s medium household income was of $26,275, while the State average stayed in $47,493.

Offering scenic views of the Lassen Volcanic National Park and Mount Shasta, Shasta Lake and Shasta Dam are a short, 5-minute drive from the Shasta Lake City. Other attractions nearby include a 3,200 elevation at Burney Falls State Park, 60 miles to the east of Redding, less than one hour to the east, and Lake Shasta Caverns, just 15 minutes north on Interstate 5.

Another fact that potential home buyers keep in mind when relocating are school facts, that in Lake Shasta are provided by the Gateway Unified School District, which Student/Teacher average ratio for the period 2004-2005 was 17.50, versus the State Average of 20.20. Graduation rate in Shasta was higher than in all the States with a Graduation rate of 94.90% while the State’s rate was 85.30%.

The expenditure per Student in the Gateway Unified School District was $8,384.00 and the State Average was $7,127.00 for the same period. Crime statistics are often compared when it comes to getting a new home, second home or vacation property. According to the FBI, crime index during 2004 was of 4.13% property crime in Shasta County, versus 3.51 in all the state of California.

From those figures, arson was 0.03% for both County and State averages, burglary was of 0.95% in Shasta County and 0.67% in the State, larceny theft 2.76% versus 2.12%. Motor vehicle theft in Shasta County was lower than that of the State, with 0.41% and 0.72% respectively, as violent crime and robbery also returned low figures with 0.53% versus 0.57% and 0.08% versus 0.19% respectively.

Regarding relocation facilities, there are a number of moving companies and relocation services specialized and located in Shasta Lake, such as Mega Van Lines, Unity Van Lines, Nationwide Moving & Storage, Affordable Moving & Storage, ACE Van Lines, Moving Star California LLC, All American Moving & Storage, VIP Relocation, Super Movers, and Movingcost & World Moving Services.

Lake Shasta has 18.6% industries providing employment, social, educational and health services, 16.4% dedicated to retail trade, and 14.0% in the fields of recreation, entertainment, arts, accommodation and food services. Shasta College is located 5 miles from Redding, and there are 3 high schools; the Central Valley High, Mountain Lakes High and Gateway Unified Community Day School.

Natural surroundings, population density and house value below the state average, makes Lake Shasta an interesting Real Estate Market to keep in mind.

The Central Valley Project developed in northern California during the 1930s is the background history of Lake Shasta, a reservoir created by building the curved gravity concrete Shasta Dam between 1938 and 1945. This reservoir was called Lake Shasta, featured as a recreational boating area.

Shasta Dam is located on the Sacramento River, just above the city of Redding, measuring 602 feet high and 3,460 feet long. The greatest depth is 517 feet, and the total drainage area is 4,110,000 acres, with average annual flow of 6.2 million acre feet. When the dam is full, the reservoir contains enough water to cover all the state of Connecticut to a depth of 1.5 feet.

Lake Shasta is one of the few lakes in California where visitors are allowed camping along the shore and having a campfire, although a permit is required (Read the FAQs section). Another peculiarity of Shasta Lake is boat-in camping, with some campgrounds in secluded areas where only boats can reach.

There is a hydroelectric power plant located below the dam and one of the biggest in California. Lake Shasta is by itself the second largest lake in California, after Lake Tahoe, and it is higher than the Washington Monument. The lake’s capacity is of 4,552,000 acre-feet, equivalent to 5.6 km cubic.

Lake Shasta is also three times the height of Niagara Falls, and it is located 10 miles north of the city of Redding, bordering with the town of Lakehead on the northern shore. Another trivia fact is that Shasta Dam has enough concrete to build a sidewalk 4 inches thick and 3 feet wide around the world at the Equator.

Actually, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is investigating the enlargement of Shasta Dam and its Reservoir as a viable way to increase and improve overall water supply reliability, and the cold water for lower Sacramento River. Lake Shasta is popular for boating, fishing, waterskiing, and camping.

The lake has 365 miles of shoreline, mostly steep mountainous terrain with manzanita and evergreen trees. The confluence of the Rivers Sacramento, Pit and McCloud, in addition to other smaller tributaries, make Lake Shasta a popular fishing spot, mainly for cold water fish species.

Avid anglers can get good catches of carp, chinook salmon, black fish, channel squawfish, Sacramento squawfish, Sacramento sucker, brown trout, rainbow trout, black crappie, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, hardhead minnow, bluegill, riffle sculpin, threadfin shad, green sunfish, golden shiner, brown bullhead, white catfish, and white sturgeon.

Lake Shasta offers several public boat ramps for boating, fishing, picnicking, and camping, some of them with restrooms:

- Antlers, exit I-5 at one-half mile Antlers Road, on the upper Sacramento River Arm.

- Bailey Cove, exit I-5 at O’Brien, toward Shasta Caverns Road, and one mile to Bailey Cove Road.

- Centimudi, northwest Shasta Lake City and near Shasta Dam.

- Hirz Bay, exit I-5 at Gilman Road, 10 miles to Hirz Bay, on the upper McCloud River Arm.

- Jones Valley, exit at Mountain Gate or Oasis Road, then 9 miles east to Bear Mountain Road, on the Pit River Arm.

- Packers Bay, exit at O’Brien, then southbound 1-5, or exit at Packers Bay Road one mile, on the Lower Pit River Arm.

- Sugarloaf exit I-5 at Lakeshore Drive, left two miles, in the Sugarloaf area of Lakehead on the Upper Sacramento River Arm.

There are other commercial boat ramps in the Lake Shasta area, including those at Antlers Resort, Bridge Bay Resort, Digger Bay Marina, Holiday Harbor, Lakeview Marina Resort, Shasta Marina, and Silverthorn Resort.

Lake Shasta is also home to different fishing events, such as the Annual Kokanee Power Spring Trout and Salmon Derby, the Tournaments and Trout Derbys, and the Shasta Lake Trout Derby.

For other events and fishing programs, you can contact the Fisheries Programs Branch, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, California 95814, Tel. (916) 445-3417, Fax (916) 445-4044, Lake and Reservoir Project, Tel. (916) 358-2847, (916) 358-2547

Other featured areas within the Lake Shasta region are the Salt Creek Area, with camping facilities and RV parks, the Gilman Road Area, providing secluded access to the McCloud Arm of Lake Shasta, and the O’Brien Area, located in the hub of the lake, and providing privileged central access to all Shasta’s arms.

Lake Shasta is not only considered the jewel of Northern California, but also the “Houseboat Mecca of the World”, with over 400 rental houseboats collectively from the lake’s 10 marinas, the largest fleet on any lake in the United States, featuring floating campers, pontoons, or what is considered the equivalent of a luxury condominium.

During summer, temperatures of the lake averages 77º Fahrenheit , providing the perfect setting for water sports, swimming, tubing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, kayaking, canoeing and rafting. The Sacramento arm is the favorite and most favored for these activities, although all the arms have areas suited for most water sports.