COMMISSION

Park History
The history of Clay Pit is tied to the statewide effort to create reservoirs during the
construction of the State Water Project. The State Water Project was authorized by the
voters in 1960 and is now the nation’s largest state-built water and power development
and distribution system. It was primarily
created to help supply additional water to
the expanding populations in San Francisco
and Los Angeles, but also helped to address
concerns about devastating floods that
happened a few years before. Included in the
project was the construction of Oroville Dam.
After the dam was completed, site ownership
was retained by the California Department
of Water Resources (CDWR) and California
Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
Visitor Appreciation Day
Further study of Clay Pit may yield information about early California gold dredging activities
and additional information about the State Water Project.
In 1981, State Parks was issued an operating agreement for the site for the purpose
of establishing, operating, and maintaining an OHV area and providing for associated
recreation on the property. The Northern Buttes District of State Parks managed the area
until July 1, 2009, when it was then transferred to the OHMVR Division. Today, the Twin
Cities District operates the SVRA.
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California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission