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Université de Californie à Davis

Lake Spafford Davis

Lakes

Université de Californie à Davis

Lake Spafford Davis

Highlight • Lake

Lake Spafford Davis

Name: Lake Spafford Davis
Rating: 2

Recommended by 10 cyclists

Cycling is not permitted at this location

You'll need to dismount and push your bike.

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Location: Université de Californie à Davis, Yolo County, California, United States

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Top cycling routes to Lake Spafford Davis

4.9

(26)

riders

1. University of California Davis loop from South Davis

26.4km

01:34

30m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(4)

riders

2. Stevenson Bridge – Steady Eddy's Coffee House loop from Davis

52.6km

03:04

60m

Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.8

(4)

riders

3. Stevenson Bridge – Putah Creek loop from Davis

34.2km

02:00

40m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

Tips

🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

October 13, 2019

Midsize lake along a former stream in Davis Arboretum.
The waterway, built in 1968-69, occupies what used to be the north fork of Putah Creek, which brought floodwater to the town then known as Davisville. A dredging effort in the late 19th century diverted most of the flow to a channel known as the south fork of Putah Creek. In 1948, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built levees at the north fork's mouth (the west end); the levees completely eliminate flow in the north fork. Whereas the original north fork flowed east, the waterway flows west. This is the result of dredging and grading over the years. When the waterway fills up with storm runoff, excess water goes through a weir and into a holding pond and from there is pumped into a pipe that carries the water to the south fork of Putah Creek. The waterway is about 1½ miles long, about 2 to 5 feet deep, along the south edge of UC Davis' central campus. A wide portion of the waterway just east of Mrak Hall is called Lake Spafford, named after F. Edwin Spafford, an alumnus who went on to be come a longtime UC Davis administrator, holding such positions as assistant to the provost; executive assistant and special assistant to the chancellor; and vice chancellor for physical construction and maintenance. The waterway runs from near the south end of D Street in downtown Davis to the UC Davis Equestrian Center.
The university classifies the remnant north fork channel as a recreation and aesthetic amenity, and a biological resource. The waterway runs through the arboretum, established in 1936 and considered today to be the university's landscape centerpiece. Pedestrian and bicycle paths line the waterway's banks. The waterway also serves as a storm water detention pond.
Poor water quality conditions have persisted since the arboretum waterway was first created more than 50 years ago. In large measure, the problems of today stem from the original design. The arboretum waterway is a stagnant pond designed to look like a flowing creek.
ucdavis.edu/news/arboretum-waterway

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Elevation -30 m

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Tuesday 28 October

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Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

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Location: Université de Californie à Davis, Yolo County, California, United States

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Lake Spafford Davis

1. University of California Davis loop from South Davis

2. Stevenson Bridge – Steady Eddy's Coffee House loop from Davis

3. Stevenson Bridge – Putah Creek loop from Davis

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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