Its water is fed by the system after being pumped up from the San Joaquin Valley and through the Tehachapi Mountains.

[citation needed] This lake was created in 1972,[1] and completed in 1973, as a holding reservoir for the California State Water Project.

[2] Travelers between Los Angeles and Bakersfield christened the landmark “Pyramid Rock,” which still stands just adjacent to the dam.

[2] The 118 m (387 ft) earth and rock dam was built by the California Department of Water Resources and was completed in 1973.

Only Francisco Lopes, owner of Rancho Temescal, a Mexican land grant, and a handful of ranchers attempted to settle the region.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for fish caught in Piru Creek based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in local species.