San Luis Reservoir
The San Luis Reservoir is a reservoir in the U.S. state of California in Merced County. The lake is located 72 km southeast of San Jose in the Diablo Range. He collects the water from the delta of the Sacramento River. It is pumped through two channels, the California Aqueduct and the Delta - Mendota Canal, which are used for agricultural irrigation, and from the San Luis Creek into the lake. The San Luis Creek is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the inflow of the reservoir, but it is dammed directly.
Depending on the water level of the reservoir at its longest point is 14.5 km long and at its widest point 8 km wide. The 51 -square-mile lake has a storage capacity of 2.25 cubic kilometers and is located at 165 meters above sea level. It is used as a pump storage reservoir is pumped up into the water and is discharged at other times again. It is the largest reservoirs of the United States that is operated in the so-called shunt.
The shut-off is a great Erdschüttdamm (San Luis Dam ). It is located at the eastern end of the reservoir and is also BF Sisk Dam called; by Bernie Sisk, an American congressman who has rendered outstanding services to the water supply in the Central Valley, California. Neither the height of the dam nor the storage space of the reservoir are outstanding, but rather the volume of the dam. It is located just under 60 million m³ among the 20 largest in the world. The dam is also one of the highest Erdschüttdämmen in the USA.
The dam is owned by the Bureau of Reclamation, but operated by the California Department of Water Resources as part of the State Water Project. The San Luis Reservoir serves as the upper basin and the lower basin of the Gianelli Forebay as Gianelli pumped storage power plant. The hydropower plant has eight Francis turbines, which together produce 424 megawatts. The sale of electricity at peak times reduces the cost of State Water Project, specifically the California aqueduct. A short 230 -volt power line directs the flow in an easterly direction to the distribution station.
The reservoir is located in a directory named after him state recreation area, in which there are many recreational opportunities - including for anglers, boaters and campers - are. The lake is known for its strong winds and therefore there are warning lights on Romero Outlook, at Basalt Campground and Quien Sabe at the Point.
At Romero Outlook, there is also a visitor center with lots of information about the dam and the power plant.