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30-559: The preserve is owned and managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District . A first phase, including about 500 acres west of Bear Creek Road, was opened to the public on June 8, 2019. It includes six miles of hiking and equestrian trails, a 52-space parking lot, and restrooms for visitors. The remainder of the preserve remains closed to the public, and will open in two additional phases – phase 2 between 2020 and 2026, and phase 3 after 2026. The preserve

60-421: A " Lexington Reservoir & Lenihan Dam Project " page on its website . Besides serving as a water supply for the area, the lake is used for rowing, paddling, and fishing. Swimming is not allowed at Lexington Reservoir. Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department manages the 914-acre (3.70 km ) Lexington Reservoir County Park. The park provides facilities for hiking and picnicking. For fishing,

90-423: A regional greenbelt of open space land in perpetuity; protect and restore the natural environment; and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education. Most of the preserves are open to recreation . Popular activities are hiking , cycling , and horseback riding . Paragliding and hang gliding are permitted at Windy Hill Open Space Preserve with a special use permit. Camping

120-561: Is a non-enterprise special district in the San Francisco Bay Area . Formed in 1972 by voter initiative, it has acquired and preserved a regional green belt of open space land and provides opportunities for ecologically-sensitive public enjoyment and education. The district, which includes parts of Santa Clara , San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, works to form a continuous green belt of permanently preserved open space by linking its lands with other public park lands. A member of

150-611: Is an artificial lake on the Los Gatos Creek near Los Gatos, California . The James J. Lenihan Dam , a 195 ft (59 m) high, 1,000 ft (300 m) thick earthen dam , forms the third-largest reservoir in Santa Clara County . The reservoir is in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains , at an elevation of 645 feet (197 m). State Route 17 runs alongside the dam's western edge and over part of

180-597: Is generally prohibited, though the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve does have a backpacking camp available by permit only. Of the 26 preserves, 24 are fully open to the public: Miramontes Ridge Open Space Preserve and Tunitas Creek Open Space Preserve are not open; the Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve and La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve require a permit for use, and portions of Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve are closed to

210-664: Is notable for its tall coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) , including several surviving old-growth trees over 200 feet tall and estimated to be 600 to 800 years old. In addition to coast redwood forest, the preserve includes Douglas fir forest and oak woodland. Fauna include mountain lions , mule deer , coyotes , bobcats , song sparrows , mallard ducks , bullfrogs , western pond turtles , Townsend's big-eared bats , California myotis bats , Mexican free-tailed bats , Steller's jays , Santa Cruz black salamanders , California giant salamanders , red-shouldered hawks , belted kingfishers , and many migratory bird species. Most of

240-648: The Bay Area Open Space Council , the district also participates in cooperative efforts such as the San Francisco Bay Trail , Bay Area Ridge Trail , and Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail , which are regional trail systems in the Bay Area that include district lands. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has permanently preserved almost 63,500 acres (25,700 ha) of mountainous, foothill, and bayland open space , creating 26 open space preserves. Of

270-535: The Lizzie Borden ax murders nine years later. Majors and one of the thugs were hanged. The other spent 15 years in prison. In September 2007, the Santa Clara Valley Water District began its “Lenihan Dam Outlet Project” at Lexington Reservoir. This project replaced the old 48-inch (1,200 mm) outlet pipe that ran through the base of the dam, from the reservoir to Los Gatos Creek. The old pipe

300-464: The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District signed a contract to acquire the former college site, set on 1,071 acres (4.33 km) of wooded hillsides. The complex agreement, which the Board of Directors approved 7–0 at a March 10 meeting, was the costliest in the district's history and the first open space agreement that included potential development. Officials said it was the district's last chance to get

330-475: The 1432-acre property for public use. In 2017 Midpeninsula completed the Bear Creek Redwoods Preserve Plan, a "long-term use and management plan for the preserve." The plan calls for habitat restoration, erosion control, preserving cultural and historic resources, and opening the preserve to the public in three phases. The first phase, including about 500 acres west of Bear Creek Road, opened to

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360-560: The 1850s, although some old-growth trees survived. In 1906 Harry Tevis, heir to a San Francisco mining fortune, built a 50-room mansion, gardens, and stables on a ridge top. Tevis died in 1931, and the site was acquired by the Sacred Heart Novitiate, a Jesuit order. From 1934 to 1969 Alma College , a Jesuit seminary , was located on the site of the Tevis mansion. In February 1969, Alma College relocated to Berkeley to become one of

390-535: The creek's canyon. It is part of the Santa Clara Valley Water District and provides water for Silicon Valley. In 1943, because of the rapid expansion of orchards in the county, the Santa Clara Valley Water District determined that the well water in the Santa Clara Valley was being diminished rapidly and a dam was needed on Los Gatos Creek, with one goal being to percolate the water into

420-631: The district and provide a range of services. Ranger staff are peace officers but do not carry firearms. They wear tan and green uniforms; the badge is a gold metal seven-point star with an enameled California state seal in the center. Dispatch services are provided by the Mountain View Police Department under contract. The following open space preserves are managed by MROSD: 37°23′47″N 122°06′21″W  /  37.39641°N 122.105922°W  / 37.39641; -122.105922 Lexington Reservoir Lexington Reservoir

450-618: The district's 26 preserves, 24 are open to the public free of charge, 365 days a year from dawn until one-half hour after sunset. The district's tax and voter base consists of about 550 square miles (1,400 km ) and 741,000 people, mostly in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. District revenues for fiscal year 2012-2013 were $ 33 million, with $ 30.3 million coming directly from a portion of property taxes. The district also occasionally receives state and federal grants, as well as private donations. Its stated mission is: To acquire and preserve

480-471: The ground and ultimately increase the amount of well water available. After rerouting State Route 17 near Windy Point, which is a mile south of Los Gatos, the District began dam construction in the spring of 1952, completing it that fall. The reservoir covered the towns of Lexington and Alma . Alma and Lexington reached their peak population in the mid-19th century, when about 200 people lived in each. Each of

510-430: The land, which it had been considering since 1975. Under the deal, Midpeninsula agreed to pay $ 10.5 million for an option on the upper 811 acres (3.28 km), but the remaining 260 acres (1.1 km), on the lower property along Highway 17, was considered for possible development of a golf course and up to 50 luxury homes by Arlie Land and Cattle. Midpeninsula dedicated funds from a 2014 open space bond to prepare

540-472: The library. The horse stables built in 1915 will be renovated. The third and final phase, south of the college and east of Bear Creek Road and Summit Road, will open to the public after 2026. The second and third phases will include another 15 miles (24 km) of trails, including a trail connection across Highway 17 to Lexington Reservoir County Park . Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD)

570-766: The member schools of the Graduate Theological Union . The original college buildings were heavily damaged by the Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17, 1989. That same year, the Jesuits sold the property for $ 12 million to Hong Kong Metro Realty, based in Madison, Wisconsin , and run by Dr. Jun Lee, nephew of Hong Kong casino billionaire Stanley Ho . Lee sold the land to Arlie Land and Cattle of Cottage Grove, Oregon , in December 1997 for more than $ 17 million. In 1999,

600-473: The preserve lies in the watersheds of Aldercroft Creek and Briggs Creek, tributaries of Los Gatos Creek which empty eastwards into Lexington Reservoir. The southwestern corner of the preserve reaches south of State Route 35 into the upper watershed of Zayante Creek , a tributary of the San Lorenzo River . Ohlone people lived in the region for thousands of years. There are several Ohlone rock mortars in

630-472: The preserve. The Ohlone gathered acorns and grass seeds to make bread and porridge, and ground them into flour at milling stations on boulders and rock outcrops. Over generations the grinding wore deep holes, or mortars, into the stone. During the estate period, these boulders were moved from elsewhere on the property to a spot near the Upper Lake, where they remain. The area was logged multiple times starting in

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660-486: The public due to hazardous areas at the summit of Mount Umunhum . In total, the district has 226 mi (364 km) of hiking trails, of which 150 mi (241 km) is open to bicycles, 182 mi (293 km) to equestrians, and 63 mi (101 km) to leashed dogs. Preserves are relatively undeveloped, with most having only a parking area, trail signs, and possibly an outhouse. All preserves are open from dawn to one-half hour after sunset. Park rangers patrol

690-402: The public on June 8, 2019. Bond funds were used to build trails, a parking lot, restrooms, retaining walls, bridges, culverts, and a pedestrian crossing of Bear Creek Road. The second phase, which includes the former college buildings and stables, will open to the public between 2020 and 2026. Midpeninsula plans to demolish most of the college buildings starting in 2020, except for the chapel and

720-471: The reservoir is stocked with black bass , trout , bluegill , and crappie . The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for Lexington Reservoir based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in fish caught from this water body. The park includes part of the San Andreas Fault , which crosses Los Gatos Creek just south of the upstream end of

750-468: The reservoir. The mountains feature redwood forests, chaparral , grasslands , hardwoods , and mixed conifer habitats. When the level of Lexington Reservoir drops, it is possible to see portions of the old roads that were used in the construction of the reservoir and that served the historic towns of Lexington and Alma that were covered by the reservoir. Some building foundations in the ghost towns are also visible at times. The photo at right shows

780-491: The reservoir. Alma Bridge Road (Limekiln Canyon Road) runs around the eastern side, connecting with 17 at the north end and again at the south end via other surface streets. The reservoir is contained in Lexington Reservoir County Park , which includes hiking trails in the hills with good views of the reservoir and of Silicon Valley . The Los Gatos Creek Trail starts at the dam and continues downstream along

810-526: The towns had a post office, hotel, saloons , blacksmith shops, and half a dozen redwood sawmills . Lexington was the halfway stop for stagecoaches running between San Jose and Santa Cruz . The town served as a place to switch from four horses to six horses to get over the mountains. Lexington declined after 1880 when the railroad from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz bypassed it, while Alma declined when Highway 17 bypassed it in 1940. The railroad ceased operations in 1940. By 1950, only about 100 people lived in

840-453: The two communities. Lexington gained national attention in 1883, when a Los Gatos saloon keeper, Lloyd Majors, hired two thugs to rob an elderly Lexington man who kept $ 20,000 in gold in his cabin. They burned him with turpentine-soaked rags and beat him with pistols, killing him, and then fled with the gold. Their sensational trial in San Jose drew national attention similar to that accorded to

870-516: Was aging, and required frequent maintenance, and repairs; it had collapsed in several places. The new outlet pipe, which runs through a new tunnel in Saint Joseph's Hill, on the east side of the dam, also features new actuating valves, and a new intake structure. The project was completed in Fall of 2009, and “first release” celebration was held on Oct. 20, 2009. The Santa Clara Valley Water District features

900-427: Was replaced with a 54-inch (1,400 mm)-diameter pipe, new valves, outlet structures, and a control building. The increase in size was made to allow the reservoir to drain quickly enough to prevent dam collapse during emergencies, such as after a major earthquake that could cause cracks in the dam, or during a series of heavy winter storms. A collapse would pose flooding risks to Los Gatos and Campbell. The old pipe

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