Pine Flat Dam
Encyclopedia
Pine Flat Dam is on the Kings River
in the San Joaquin Valley
, near Piedra
in Fresno County, California
, and forms Pine Flat Lake
. It is a 440 ft (134.1 m) concrete gravity dam. The dam is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Construction of the dam began in 1949 and was completed in 1954. Its primary function is flood control
, with hydropower
, irrigation
and recreation
all secondary in importance. Its reservoir is large, with a capacity of 1000000 acre.ft.
Security precautions at the dam taken after the September 11, 2001 attacks
have exceeded most in California
. Large areas formerly open to the public have been closed, roads have been barricaded and the dam itself is inaccessible. This is likely because of the dam's importance in protecting the region from floods and the damage that the water would do if the dam was breached. In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers, as a military organization, may have more stringent security requirements than the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and local agencies, which control most major dams in the state.
Completed in 1984, the Jeff L. Taylor Pine Flat Power Plant is a hydroelectric generation station operated by Kings River Conservation District and is located at the base of the dam. Its three Francis turbine
s produce 165-MW combined that generate an average annual energy output of 420 million kilowatt-hours. The plant's generation is governed by flood control and irrigation needs.
Kings River (California)
The Kings River is a major river of south-central California. About long, it drains an area of the high western Sierra Nevada and the Central Valley. A large alluvial fan has formed where the river's gradient decreases in the Central Valley so the river divides into distributaries...
in the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
, near Piedra
Piedra, California
Piedra is an unincorporated community in Fresno County, California. It is located on the south bank of the Kings River east of Fresno, at an elevation of 538 feet ....
in Fresno County, California
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
, and forms Pine Flat Lake
Pine Flat Lake
Pine Flat Lake is an artificial lake in the Sierra Nevada foothills of eastern Fresno County, California and provides the western north-south border to the Sierra- and Sequoia National Forests, about east of Fresno....
. It is a 440 ft (134.1 m) concrete gravity dam. The dam is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Construction of the dam began in 1949 and was completed in 1954. Its primary function is flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
, with hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
, irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
all secondary in importance. Its reservoir is large, with a capacity of 1000000 acre.ft.
Security precautions at the dam taken after the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
have exceeded most in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Large areas formerly open to the public have been closed, roads have been barricaded and the dam itself is inaccessible. This is likely because of the dam's importance in protecting the region from floods and the damage that the water would do if the dam was breached. In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers, as a military organization, may have more stringent security requirements than the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and local agencies, which control most major dams in the state.
Completed in 1984, the Jeff L. Taylor Pine Flat Power Plant is a hydroelectric generation station operated by Kings River Conservation District and is located at the base of the dam. Its three Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
s produce 165-MW combined that generate an average annual energy output of 420 million kilowatt-hours. The plant's generation is governed by flood control and irrigation needs.