Stony Gorge Dam (National ID # CA10194) is a dam in Glenn County, California.

Stony Gorge Dam
Stony Gorge Dam
LocationGlenn County, California
Coordinates39°35′11″N 122°31′56″W / 39.58628°N 122.53232°W / 39.58628; -122.53232
Opening date1926; 98 years ago (1926)
Dam and spillways
Height153 ft (47 m)
Length868 ft (265 m)
Reservoir
CreatesStony Gorge Reservoir
Total capacity58,500 acre⋅ft (72,200,000 m3)
Surface area1,280 acres (520 ha)
Aerial view of Stony Gorge Reservoir from the west

The concrete buttress dam was constructed between 1926 (98 years ago) (1926) and 1928 (96 years ago) (1928) by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, with a height of 153 feet (47 m) and 868 feet (265 m) long at its crest.[1] Structurally it is a relatively early example of an Ambursen-type dam, using contraction joints between all face slabs and buttresses for stability.

It impounds Stony Creek for irrigation storage and flood control. Hydroelectric power is also produced. Along with the East Park Dam about 15 miles (24 km) upstream, it is part of the Orland Project in the Sacramento valley, one of the Bureau of Reclamation's first generation of water projects. The dam is owned by the Bureau and is operated by the local Orland Unit Water Users` Association.[2]

The reservoir it creates, Stony Gorge Reservoir, has a water surface of 1,280 acres (520 ha), a shoreline of about 18 miles (29 km), and a maximum capacity of 58,500 acre-feet (72,200,000 m3).[3][4] Recreation includes camping, boating, and fishing (for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish).[5] The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for fish caught in the Stony Gorge Dam based on levels of mercury or PCBs found in local species.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2012-09-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Project details - Orland Project - Bureau of Reclamation". Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2012-09-22.
  3. ^ "Stony Gorge Reservoir".
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-09-04. Retrieved 2012-09-22.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Stony Gorge Reservoir".
  6. ^ Admin, OEHHA (2014-12-30). "Stony Gorge Reservoir". OEHHA. Retrieved 2018-06-13.