NEW MELONES VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM

The New Melones Lake Visitor Center and Museum were completed as a part of the New Melones project in 1992. The facility was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation to address a Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) for Cultural Resources as mitigation for the loss of archeological, historical and cultural resources and sites as a part of the New Melones project. This agreement was entered into by the Bureau of Reclamation, California State Historic Preservation Office, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Its main purpose is to present the public with information on the use of the Stanislaus River by prehistoric and historic peoples. The New Melones Lake area has been occupied for more than 9,000 years. The lands adjacent to the Stanislaus River contain hundreds of prehistoric and historic archeological sites. The area was important during the California Gold Rush and subsequent mining periods. In more recent years, the New Melones Lake area has been of interest to water users, power production, and recreation.