Last week, we featured the Horse Lake Siding on the abandoned Modoc Line, now a recreational trail. One of the favorite segments of the Modoc Line is that from Karlo to Snowstorm. One of the many interesting features along the route is Biscar Reservoir, as this water oasis standouts among the high desert countryside.
The reservoir was so named for Secret Valley rancher, Pierre “Pete” Biscar, (1881-1947) a native of France who settled there in 1904. In 1909, he constructed the first reservoir at the mouth of Snowstorm Canyon. In 1915, it was washed out by a flood and subsequently rebuilt. Today there are two reservoirs that are a part of the 550-acre Biscar Wildlife Area. It was initially purchased in the late 1940s by the California Department of Fish and Game as part of a long range plan to obtain water for the department’s Honey Lake Wildlife Area.