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Kerckhoff Dam
Kerckhoff Dam is located in California
Kerckhoff Dam
Location of Kerckhoff Dam in California
Location Fresno County, California, United States
Coordinates 37°07′41″N 119°31′31″W / 37.12806°N 119.52528°W / 37.12806; -119.52528
Opening date 1920
Owner(s) Pacific Gas & Electric
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Concrete arch
Impounds San Joaquin River
Height 114 ft (35 m)
Length 495 ft (151 m)
Elevation at crest 994.5 ft (303.1 m)
Dam volume 22,000 cu yd (17,000 m3)
Reservoir
Total capacity 4,252 acre⋅ft (5,245,000 m3)
Catchment area 1,460 sq mi (3,800 km2)
Power station
Turbines 3x 12.667 MW at Powerhouse No. 1
1x 155.0 MW at Powerhouse No. 2
Installed capacity 193 MW
Annual generation 579,100,000 KWh

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.

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.

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