Opening date 1920 Impounds San Joaquin River Elevation at crest 994.5 ft (303.1 m) Catchment area 3,781 km² | Type of dam Concrete arch Length 495 ft (151 m) Height 35 m Impound San Joaquin River | |
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Location Fresno County, California, United States Owner Pacific Gas and Electric Company Similar Temperance Flat Dam, Redinger Dam, Sierra Nevada, Friant 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 m3) 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.
Map of Kerckhoff Dam, North Fork, CA 93643, USA
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.