Pit 5 Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pit 5 Dam |
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 Location of Pit 5 Dam in California
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Shasta County, California |
| Coordinates | 40°59′30″N 121°52′16″W / 40.99167°N 121.87111°W |
| Purpose | Hydroelectric |
| Opening date | 1944 |
| Owner(s) | PG&E |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Pit River |
| Height (foundation) | 58 ft (18 m) |
| Length | 340 ft (100 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Pit 5 Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 330 acre⋅ft (410,000 m3) |
| Power station | |
| Name | Pit 5 Powerhouse |
| Installed capacity | 160 MW |
| Annual generation | 781,328,000 KWh (2001–2012) |
Pit 5 Dam is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric dam on the Pit River in Shasta County, northeastern California, about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Big Bend. It is part of the Pit 3-4-5 hydroelectric project owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Company.
Specifications
The concrete gravity diversion dam is 58 feet (18 m) high and 340 feet (100 m) long. It has a gated spillway controlled by four 50 ft × 26.3 ft (15.2 m × 8.0 m) steel wheel gates, and a 30 in (76 cm) diameter river outlet for regular releases. An intake structure diverts water into a 5,109-foot (1,557 m) long penstock to the Pit 5 Tunnel forebay reservoir, from which a second 23,149-foot (7,056 m) tunnel connects to the Pit 5 power station. There are four 40 MW generating units, each fed by a 1,380-foot (420 m)-long penstock.
History
The dam and power station were authorized in 1942 and constructed as a wartime project, and the first power was generated on April 29, 1944. Construction of the dam and power station dewatered a stretch of the Pit River known as the "Big Bend". When the projects were relicensed in 2007, a minimum 250 cu ft/s (7.1 m3/s) release into the river was established, to provide recreation benefits such as boating and fishing, and to improve riparian habitat.
