Pinole Reservoir (Pinole, California)

 place with historical importance, reservoir

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The reservoir was built on land purchased by the California Powder Works from the Tennent family and owned by the Hercules Water Company. Construction began in 1898 and ended in 1902. Water was pumped up from Pinole Creek, then pumped down into the powder plant, Pinole and Hercules. At a depth of 37 feet, it has a capacity of 8,728,621 gallons of water. It was once covered by a wooden roof and also used for recreation: a utility rowboat inside the reservoir was used by young couples.

The reservoir was abandoned in 1934, largely due to leaking. It was purchased in 1936 by EBMUD, but sat disused. A Pinole service organization purchased the reservoir in 1966 with the hopes of restoring it as a community center, but plans fell through. The reservoir and the parcel of land it sits on was eventually purchased by Joseph and Gretchen Mariotti in 1978 to preserve as open space.

www.pinolehistoricalsociety.org/phsnewsbriefssummer2009...