Lyons Dam facts for kids
Lyons Dam is a special wall built across the South Fork Stanislaus River in Tuolumne County, California. It helps to hold back water, creating a lake called Lyons Reservoir. This dam is important for providing water to nearby communities like Twain Harte, California.
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What is Lyons Dam?
Lyons Dam is a concrete single-arch dam. This means it's made of concrete and curves in one direction, like an arch. This shape helps it stand strong against the pressure of the water.
How Big is Lyons Dam?
The dam is quite large! It stands about 132 feet (40 meters) tall. Its top, called the crest, stretches 535 feet (163 meters) long.
Who Built and Owns the Dam?
The dam was built in 1930 by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, often called PG&E. This company still owns and operates Lyons Dam today. PG&E is actually the biggest private owner of hydroelectric facilities in the United States, with 174 dams in total!
Lyons Reservoir: A Watery Home
Behind Lyons Dam is the Lyons Reservoir. This is the lake created by the dam.
How Much Water Does it Hold?
The reservoir usually covers about 184 acres (74 hectares) of land. When it's completely full, it can hold a huge amount of water, about 6,400 acre-feet. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land with water one foot deep.
Fun at the Reservoir
Lyons Reservoir is a great place for outdoor activities. Many people enjoy fishing there. The area around the reservoir is surrounded by the beautiful Stanislaus National Forest.
Protecting the Land Around the Dam
In 2012, some land near the reservoir, known as the Rushing Meadows parcel, was given to the National Forest Service. This land, about 625 acres (253 hectares), used to belong to PG&E. This transfer was part of a special agreement.
