Upper American River Project facts for kids

Loon Lake, a key water storage area for the Upper American River Project.

The Upper American River Project (UARP) is a big system that uses water to make electricity. It's run by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) in Sacramento, California, United States.

This system has 11 dams and eight powerhouses. They use water from the upper parts of the American River in the Sierra Nevada mountains to create power. The UARP can make over 687 megawatts of power. It produces 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year. This is enough to provide 20 percent of Sacramento's electricity needs.

The project mainly uses water from the South Fork American River and its smaller streams. Some water also comes from the Rubicon River. The dams in the project can store about 430,000 acre-feet of water. The water drops a total of 5,417 feet from the highest reservoir to the lowest power plant. This big drop helps make a lot of electricity.

History of the Project

The idea for the UARP was approved on August 28, 1957, by a group called the Federal Power Commission. SMUD started building it in September of that same year. The first electricity from UARP was made at the Jaybird Powerhouse on May 1, 1961.

Most of the project's parts were finished by 1967. The Loon Lake Powerhouse was completed in 1971. The Jones Fork Powerhouse was the last one, finished in 1985.

One environmental impact of the project is that the dams block fish from moving freely. This affects parts of the upper South Fork American River, the Rubicon River, and their smaller streams.

How the Project Works

Water from the Rubicon River is sent to a storage lake called Loon Lake. From Loon Lake, the water flows through the Loon Lake Powerhouse into Gerle Creek. This water is then collected and sent into Silver Creek. Silver Creek is a stream that flows into the South Fork American River.

The water then goes through the Robbs Peak Powerhouse and into Union Valley Reservoir. This is the main reservoir for the whole project. Water from Ice House Reservoir also flows into Union Valley Reservoir through the Jones Fork Powerhouse.

From Union Valley Reservoir, water moves through the Union Valley Powerhouse to Junction Reservoir. Then it goes through the Jaybird Powerhouse to Camino Reservoir. Both Junction and Camino reservoirs are on Silver Creek. The water then enters a large pipe called a penstock. This pipe feeds the Camino Powerhouse, which is located above Slab Creek Reservoir on the South Fork American River.

Finally, water from Slab Creek Reservoir goes through a last tunnel to the White Rock Powerhouse. This powerhouse is located at the upper end of Chili Bar Reservoir, also on the South Fork American River.

Main Parts of the Project

The Upper American River Project includes many important dams and power plants. These facilities work together to store water and turn its movement into electricity.

Dams and Reservoirs

These are the main dams and the lakes (reservoirs) they create. They hold the water that will be used to make power.

† indicates a diversion dam, which means it sends water to a different place.

Power Plants

These are the powerhouses where the electricity is actually made. They use the force of falling water to spin turbines and generate power.