Lake Almanor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Almanor is a large lake in northwestern Plumas County, in northeastern California. The lake has a capacity of 1,308,000 acre-feet and a maximum depth of about 90 feet. It is formed by Canyon Dam on the North Fork of the Feather River, although Hamilton Branch, Benner and Last Chance creeks flow into the lake as well. The dam is 130 feet tall and composed on hydraulic fill. The present dam was constructed by Great Western Power, which is now owned by Pacific Gas and Electric, from 1926 to 1927. PG&E uses it for hydroelectricity production, but the lake is also a popular recreation area, with fishing, boating, water skiing, swimming and camping available.
Much of the southern shore of the lake is in the Lassen National Forest, so recreation management is shared by PG&E and the United States Forest Service.
Much of the northern shore of the lake is seasonal pasture used for summer and fall cattle grazing. The wetlands at the north end also serve as breeding grounds for a variety of migratory waterfowl, most prominently Canadian Geese and various species of ducks including mallard, teal, and widgeon. Other large birds to be viewed around the lake are heron, osprey, and occasionally bald eagles, which nest on the Peninsula.
There is no powerhouse at the dam. A tunnel from the lake delivers it to Butt Valley Powerhouse at the north end of Butt Valley Reservoir, which has a capacity of 41 MW. From there, the water is sent by tunnel to either Caribou 1 or Caribou 2 Powerhouse, which have capacities of 120 and 74 MW respectively. Caribou 2 is favored because it is newer and more efficient. Their tailraces flow into Belden Reservoir. Some water goes through the 1.3-MW Oak Flat Powerhouse, which is located at the bottom on Belden Dam. The rest goes to the 125-MW Belden Powerhouse by another tunnel. The water is then released into Rock Creek Reservoir.
[edit] References
- Pacific Gas & Electric
- United States Forest Service
- Western Pacific Lives
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
