It is the site of Calero County Park, which also includes a large area covering the lake and hundreds of acres of hills around it.

[6] The reservoir receives flows from the southwest via Cherry Canyon[8] which has its origin at Fern Peak[9] in the southeastern part of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

[11] Because alluvium deposits were found beneath the dam in a 2012 independent engineering study, and these could liquify in an earthquake, reservoir levels are currently maintained 19 feet below the spillway.

[13] The primary fish caught in Calero Reservoir are non-native, including largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), Eurasian common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus).

[14] A 4,471-acre (1,809 ha) county park surrounds the reservoir[15] and provides limited fishing[16] ("catch-and-release"), picnicking, hiking, and horseback riding activities.