Carving Farmland into a Lake

Carving Farmland into a Lake. October 1974. , To create Lake Mission Viejo from farmland, the original valley topsoil was removed all the way down to the clay bed during grading. The lake bottom was replace with impermeable soils to help reduce water seepage and prevent decomposition of organic material., The original planners who designed and constructed Lake Mission Viejo also created a linked system of drains, dams, and retention basins from the City's local parks and open spaces, which allows Lake Mission Viejo to achieve high water quality., A $1 million bypass storm drain was constructed around the east perimeter of the lake. This bypass system prevents runoff from entering the lake by collecting and rerouting storm water and by diverting hillside runoff. , The Youth Athletic Park, at the north end of Lake Mission Viejo is a 42-acre retention basin that not only provides recreational fields for sports play, but also contains storm water and prevents it from entering the lake. , Construction of Lake Mission Viejo began in 1974. The lake officially opened on June 3, 1978. The surface covers 124 acres, and the water is 70 feet deep at the deepest point.