Round Valley Reservoir is located between Susanville and the Willow Creek Valley. It happens to be one of the oldest reservoirs in the region. On December 3, 1884, two San Francisco investors John L. Davie and Frederick Getchell purchased a ranch in Willow Creek Valley, which included adjoining Round Valley, from Susanville financier, William Greehn for $4,000. For years is was known as the San Francisco Ranch, to day it is known as Five Dot.
For Davie and Getchell to make this a successful enterprise, they would need to develop an adequate water supply. The solution, place a dam at Round Valley. The valley is a small basin, yet a reservoir there could store the winter run-off, to provide irrigation in the summer. John T. White, the resident manager of the San Francisco Ranch, was assigned the task to have the Round Valley dam constructed. In August 1887, White came to Susanville in search of common labor to construct the dam. White offered those willing to work a $1.25 per day, plus room and board. There were few takers, but not enough to undertake the dam construction. To alleviate the labor problem White brought forty Chinese laborers from Dutch Hill, Nevada County, California to construct the dam. By Christmas, 1887 new the dam was completed.