Alcova Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alcova Dam |
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Alcova Dam
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| Location | Natrona County, Wyoming, USA |
| Coordinates | 42°32′53″N 106°43′10″W / 42.54806°N 106.71944°W |
| Construction began | 1935 |
| Opening date | 1938 |
| Operator(s) | U.S. Bureau of Reclamation |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Zoned earthfill |
| Impounds | North Platte River |
| Height | 265 feet (81 m) |
| Length | 763 feet (233 m) |
| Dam volume | 1,635,000 cu yd (1,250,000 m3) |
| Spillway type | Gated spillway |
| Spillway capacity | 55,000 cu ft/s (1,600 m3/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Alcova Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 184,405 acre-feet (0.227460 km3) |
| Power station | |
| Hydraulic head | 180 ft (55 m) |
| Turbines | 2 x 18 MW Francis turbines |
| Installed capacity | 36 MW |
| Annual generation | 92,408,000 KWh |
The Alcova Dam is a large dam located in central Wyoming, USA. It stands about 265 feet (81 m) tall. This dam was built between 1935 and 1938 on the North Platte River. It is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which is a government agency that manages water resources.
The main jobs of Alcova Dam are to store water and to create electricity from the moving water. It is a special type of dam called a zoned earthfill dam. This means it's made mostly of earth, like soil and rock, packed together in layers. The dam is an important part of a bigger plan called the Kendrick Project. This project also includes another dam called Seminoe Dam.
The Alcova Powerplant has two machines that make electricity. Each machine can produce 18 megawatts (MW) of power. The reservoir behind the dam, called Alcova Reservoir, can hold a lot of water. Some of this water is used to help farmers water their crops.
Building the Dam
| Alcova Dam bridge | |
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| Carries | Cottonwood Avenue |
People first looked at Alcova Canyon as a possible place for a dam way back in 1903. In 1921, there was a plan to build a dam at Alcova. The idea was to send water to the city of Casper and help water about 60,000 acres (24,000 ha) of farmland.
The government officially approved the project in 1933. By 1936, about $15 million was set aside to build it. The project was first called the Casper-Alcova Project. But in 1937, it was renamed the Kendrick Project. This was to honor John B. Kendrick, a senator from Wyoming.
Work on a special tunnel to move water started in 1933. The actual building of the dam began in 1935. Companies from Texas and California worked together to build it. They started placing the earth and rock for the dam in 1936. The dam was finished in 1937. The reservoir behind the dam was filled with water in 1938. The whole dam was officially completed on May 8, 1938. The power plant, which makes electricity, was built later. It started in 1952 and was finished three years later.
