Uvas Reservoir

Uvas Reservoir is a reservoir in Santa Clara County, California in the United States, created in 1957 by the construction of Uvas Dam across Uvas Creek. Of the ten reservoirs owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, it is the fifth largest. Its name "uvas," Spanish for grapes, comes from early Spanish settlers finding an abundance of wild grapes in the area.A 2013 deal between the Scoffone family and the Peninsula Open Space Trust to sell acres of the Uvas Reservoir park area to the trust resulted in a doubling of the park's size. This property's first owner was Martin Murphy, one of the first people to settle in the Gilroy and Morgan Hill area. Over the years its ownership changed frequently. After Martin Murphy, Minne "Ma" Kell was the site's next owner. She converted some portions of the space into a baseball diamond, dance floor, and campground.After Minnie Kell, land developer Roy came to own the expanse and attempted to build around 200 homes on the property. Pacific Gas and Electric, using eminent domain, thwarted his development aspirations with, running a transmission line on the property. Next the Scoffones, the most recent property holders, came to own the now owned by the Peninsular Open Space Trust.The reservoir sits atop part of the Franciscan Formation, which also comprise much of the Foothill region's rocks to the east of the San Andreas Fault. A variety of rocks from the formation can be found there, including slate, basalt, marble, and many others.Uvas Reservoir is located in one of 28 county parks owned by Santa Clara County and managed by the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department. This 626acre park surrounds the reservoir and provides limited fishing ("catch-and-release"), picnicking, and hiking activities. Boating is not permitted in the reservoir.