Kerckhoff Dam
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 m) of water and is the primary feature of Pacific Gas and Electric's Kerckhoff hydroelectric project. 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.
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.
The dam, named for William George Kerckhoff, was part of the "Big Creek Hydroelectric Project", the largest construction project in the world in 1910.
See also
References
- ^ "Hydropower Technical Appendix" (PDF). Upper San Joaquin River Storage Investigation Initial Alternatives Information Report. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
- ^ "Station Meta Data: Kerckhoff Dam". California Data Exchange Center. California Department of Water Resources. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
- ^ "Kerckhoff Lake, Powerhouse, and Dam". Revive the San Joaquin. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
- ^ "Historical Perspective: The amazing life of William G. Kerckhoff". 30 August 2015.
