Kerckhoff Dam
Dam in California, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kerckhoff Dam is a concrete arch dam on the San Joaquin River in Fresno County, California, about 10 mi (16 km) southwest of Big Creek. The 114 ft (35 m) tall dam is a run-of-the-river facility impounding 4,252 acre⋅ft (5,245,000 m3) of water and is the primary feature of Pacific Gas and Electric's Kerckhoff hydroelectric project.[3] The dam and its 160-acre (65 ha) reservoir provide water for the Kerckhoff Powerhouses No. 1 and No. 2. Powerhouse No. 1 has three Francis turbines producing a maximum of 38 megawatts (MW) and Powerhouse No. 2 has a single Francis turbine rated at 155 MW for a total project capacity of 193 MW. An annual 579.1 million KWh of electricity are generated here.[1]
| Kerckhoff Dam | |
|---|---|
  Kerckhoff Dam Location of Kerckhoff Dam in California | |
| Location | Fresno County, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°07′41″N 119°31′31″W |
| Purpose | Flood control, Electricity, Recreation |
| Opening date | 1920 |
| Owner | Pacific Gas & Electric |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete arch |
| Impounds | San Joaquin River |
| Height | 114 ft (35 m)[1] |
| Length | 495 ft (151 m)[2] |
| Elevation at crest | 994.5 ft (303.1 m)[2] |
| Dam volume | 22,000 yd3 (17,000 m3)[2] |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Kerckhoff Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 4,252 acre⋅ft (5,245,000 m3)[1] |
| Catchment area | 1,460 mi2 (3,800 km2)[2] |
| Power Station | |
| Turbines | 3x 12.667 MW at Powerhouse No. 1 1x 155.0 MW at Powerhouse No. 2[1] |
| Installed capacity | 193 MW[1] |
| Annual generation | 579,100,000 KWh[1] |
| Website http://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/sierra | |
Completed in 1920, the dam and Powerhouse No. 1 were the first to utilize the San Joaquin River for hydroelectricity. The second powerhouse was added in 1983.[1]
The dam, named for William George Kerckhoff, was part of the "Big Creek Hydroelectric Project", the largest construction project in the world in 1910.[4]