Slab Creek Dam is a dam in the American River watershed of the central Sierra Nevada, within El Dorado County, California.[1]
The dam and reservoir impound the upper South Fork American River for hydroelectric power, and are named for Slab Creek, a nearby tributary.
Dam
editThe concrete arch dam was constructed in 1967 as part of the Upper American River Project by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). It has a height of 250 feet (76 m), and a length of 825 feet (251 m) at its crest.[2]
Slab Creek Dam is one of several dams and reservoirs owned by SMUD. Others include the 1959 Ice House Dam, the 1963 Loon Lake Dam, and the 1963 Union Valley Dam.
Slab Creek Reservoir
editThe reservoir the dam creates, Slab Creek Reservoir, has a normal water surface of 249 acres (101 ha), and a normal capacity of 16,600 acre-feet.[3] Recreation on and around the reservoir includes fishing, camping, and rafting.[4]
Iowa Hill Pumped-Storage Project
editAn additional project called the Iowa Hill Pumped-Storage Project was planned in 2001, which would have taken water from the Slab Creek reservoir during off-peak times, to be released for electricity generation at times of high demand. In February 2016 the project was cancelled, on the grounds that by the time it was completed, that type of storage would not be needed.[5]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Slab Creek Dam: National ID # CA00823
- ^ Slab Creek dam details Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Slab Creek, northcentral California(click on Slab Creek, at center of map)
- ^ South Fork of American River Archived 2009-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Peter Bosshard (9 February 2016), Has the Post-Dam Future Started?, retrieved 25 February 2016