Folsom Dam

Folsom Dam
Folsom Dam release
LocationFolsom, California
Coordinates38°42′28″N 121°09′23″W / 38.7077°N 121.1565°W / 38.7077; -121.1565
Construction began1951; 73 years ago (1951)[1]
Opening date1956; 68 years ago (1956)[1]
Construction costUS$81.5 million
Operator(s)U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Dam and spillways
ImpoundsAmerican River
Height340 ft (100 m)[2]
Length1,400 ft (430 m)[2]
Reservoir
CreatesFolsom Lake
Total capacity977,000 acre⋅ft (1.205 km3)[3]
Inactive capacity83,000 acre⋅ft (0.102 km3)[4]
Catchment area1,875 sq mi (4,860 km2)[5]
Surface area11,930 acres (4,830 ha)[3]
Power Station
Commission date1955[6]
Hydraulic head300 ft (91 m) (rated)[6]
Turbines3x Francis
Installed capacity198.7 MW[6]
Annual generation528,427,000 KWh (2001–2012)[7]

Folsom Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the American River of Northern California in the United States, about 25 mi (40 km) northeast of Sacramento. The dam is 340 ft (100 m) high and 1,400 ft (430 m) long, flanked by earthen wing dams. It was completed in 1955, and officially opened the following year.

Located at the junction of the north and south forks of the American River, the dam was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and was transferred to the United States Bureau of Reclamation upon its completion. The dam and its reservoir, Folsom Lake, are part of the Central Valley Project, a multipurpose project that provides flood control, hydroelectricity, irrigation, and municipal water supply. To increase Sacramento's flood protection to 200-year flood protection (meaning that the area is protected from a flood that has a 0.5% chance of occurring in any given year), the Corps of Engineers recently constructed an auxiliary spillway,[8] which was completed in October 2017; it enables Folsom Dam operators to increase outflows to prevent the lake level from reaching or exceeding the height of the main dam gates.[9]

Another Central Valley Project dam, Nimbus Dam, is located further down river.

  1. ^ a b "Folsom Dam General Information". Folsom and Sly Park Units Project. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-06-04. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
  2. ^ a b "Folsom Dam Dimensions". Folsom and Sly Park Units Project. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-06-04. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NPDP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Ritzema, Randall S.; Newlin, Brad D.; Van Lienden, Brian J. (October 2001). "Appendix H: Infrastructure" (PDF). CALVIN Project. University of California Davis. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-11-06. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  5. ^ "Folsom Dam Hydraulics & Hydrology". Folsom and Sly Park Units Project. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-06-04. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
  6. ^ a b c "Folsom Powerplant". Folsom and Sly Park Units Project. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-05-13. Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
  7. ^ "California Hydroelectric Statistics & Data". California Energy Commission. Archived from the original on 2018-02-26. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  8. ^ "Sacramento District > Missions > Civil Works > Folsom Dam Auxiliary Spillway". www.spk.usace.army.mil. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  9. ^ Aragon, Greg. "Army Corps Completes $900 Million Folsom Dam Auxiliary Spillway Project". Retrieved 1 September 2018.