Pit 3 Dam

Pit-3 Dam (also known as Pit Number Three Dam and Dam Number Three) is a hydroelectric dam on the Pit River in northern California in the United States. It forms Lake Britton, and is owned by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

Pit-3 Dam
Satellite view
Location of Pit-3 Dam in California
Official namePit Number Three Dam
CountryUnited States
LocationShasta County, California
Coordinates41°01′18″N 121°40′33″W
Owner(s)Pacific Gas and Electric Company[1]
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsPit River
Height130 ft (40 m)[2]
Length494 ft (151 m)[2]
Width (crest)30 ft (9.1 m)[1]
Width (base)110 ft (34 m)[1]
Reservoir
CreatesLake Britton
Total capacity41,877 acre⋅ft (51,655,000 m3)[2]
Catchment area4,700 square miles (12,000 km2)[1]
Surface area1,265 acres (5.12 km2)[3]
Power Station
TypeRun-of-the-river
Hydraulic head600 feet (180 m)[2]
Installed capacity69.9 MW[2]
Annual generation333,606,000 KWh (2001–2012)[4]

Specifications

Pit 3 is a curved concrete gravity dam with a height of 130 ft (40 m) and length of 494 ft (151 m). The dam has a gated spillway with three steel gates and three inflatable rubber gates.[2]:6 An intake structure at the dam diverts water into a 19-foot (5.8 m) diameter, 21,203-foot (6,463 m) long tunnel that connects to the Pit 3 hydroelectric plant. There are three 23.3 MW generators, for a total capacity of 69.9 MW.[2]:6

Lake Britton, formerly known as Pit 3 Reservoir, has a maximum water level of 2,737.5 ft (834.4 m); however, the lake is usually kept below 2,736.5 ft (834.1 m) to avoid flooding parts of McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park.[2]:279 The gross storage capacity is 41,877 acre feet (51,655,000 m3) and the usable (active) storage is 14,443 acre feet (17,815,000 m3).[2]:6

The lake level changes on a weekly basis with greater drawdowns during the weekdays for power generation, and refilling on the weekends.[2]:9 In addition to generating power at the Pit 3 hydroelectric station, the reservoir also helps regulate water flowing through the Pit 4 and Pit 5 stations downstream.

The dam is the place where Pacific Crest Trail crosses the Pit River.[2]:279

History

Construction was completed in 1925.[5]

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See also

References
  1. "Lake Britton, northwest California". FindLakes. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
  2. "Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Hydropower License: Pit 3, 4, 5 Hydroelectric Project". Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Mar 2003. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
  3. "Pit River Watershed". California Hydropower Reform Coalition. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
  4. "California Hydroelectric Statistics & Data". California Energy Commission. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  5. Rountree, Marilyn. "Hydroelectric Dams and Powerhouses". Shasta County History. Retrieved 2010-11-13.
Lake Britton.
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