Pit 3 Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pit-3 Dam |
|
|---|---|
Satellite view
|
|
 Location of Pit-3 Dam in California
|
|
| Official name | Pit Number Three Dam |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Shasta County, California |
| Coordinates | 41°01′18″N 121°40′33″W / 41.02167°N 121.67583°W |
| Owner(s) | Pacific Gas and Electric Company |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Pit River |
| Height | 130 ft (40 m) |
| Length | 494 ft (151 m) |
| Width (crest) | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Width (base) | 110 ft (34 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Britton |
| Total capacity | 41,877 acre⋅ft (51,655,000 m3) |
| Catchment area | 4,700 square miles (12,000 km2) |
| Surface area | 1,265 acres (5.12 km2) |
| Power station | |
| Type | Run-of-the-river |
| Hydraulic head | 600 feet (180 m) |
| Installed capacity | 69.9 MW |
| Annual generation | 333,606,000 KWh (2001–2012) |
The Pit-3 Dam, also called Pit Number Three Dam, is a large structure on the Pit River in northern California, USA. It helps create electricity using water power, which is called hydroelectricity. The dam forms a lake named Lake Britton. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company, or PG&E, owns and operates this dam.
How Pit-3 Dam Works
The Pit-3 Dam is a special type of dam called a curved concrete gravity dam. It is about 130 ft (40 m) tall and 494 ft (151 m) long. The dam has a spillway with gates. These gates help control the amount of water that flows over the dam.
Water from the dam goes into a very long tunnel. This tunnel is about 19-foot (5.8 m) wide and 21,203-foot (6,463 m) long. The tunnel carries water to the Pit 3 hydroelectric plant. Inside the plant, there are three large machines called generators. Each generator can make 23.3 megawatts (MW) of power. Together, they can produce a total of 69.9 MW of electricity.
About Lake Britton
Lake Britton was once known as Pit 3 Reservoir. The lake can hold a lot of water, about 41,877 acre-feet (51,655,000 m3). However, the lake's water level is usually kept a bit lower. This is to prevent flooding parts of McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park, which is nearby.
The water level in Lake Britton changes throughout the week. It usually goes down during weekdays because more water is used to make electricity. On weekends, the lake refills. Besides making power at the Pit 3 station, Lake Britton also helps control water flow for other power stations downstream, like Pit 4 and Pit 5.
The famous Pacific Crest Trail crosses the Pit River right at the dam. This trail is a long path for hikers and horseback riders.
History of the Dam
The construction of the Pit-3 Dam was finished in 1925. It has been making electricity and helping manage water in California for many years.
