Sugar Pine Dam
Sugar Pine Dam from the air
CountryUnited States
LocationNorthern California
Coordinates39°7′47″N 120°48′5″W / 39.12972°N 120.80139°W / 39.12972; -120.80139
Construction began1979; 45 years ago (1979)
Opening date1982; 42 years ago (1982)
Construction cost$71 million
Owner(s)Foresthill Public Utility District
Operator(s)Foresthill Public Utility District
Dam and spillways
Type of damEarth fill dam
ImpoundsNorth Shirttail Creek
Height205 ft (62 m)
Length689 ft (210 m)
Width (base)984 ft (300 m)
Dam volume987,500 cu ft (27,960 m3)
Reservoir
CreatesSugar Pine Reservoir
Total capacity6,921 acre⋅ft (8,537,000 m3)
Surface area165 acres (67 ha)[1]
Normal elevation3,609 ft (1,100 m)[2]

Sugar Pine Dam is an earthfill embankment dam in Placer County, California, approximately 7 miles (11 km) north of Foresthill.[1] It impounds North Shirttail Creek, a tributary of the North Fork American River, and serves as the primary municipal water supply for the Foresthill community.

History

The dam was authorized in 1965 as part of the Auburn-Folsom South Unit of the Central Valley Project.[1][3] Construction began in 1979, and the dam was completed in 1982. The project was transferred to the Foresthill Public Utility District for operation and maintenance in 1984.[1] Although Sugar Pine Dam was funded through the Central Valley Project, it was never integrated into the project operationally, as it was intended to work with the never-completed Auburn Dam.[3] The Sugar Pine Pipeline carries water from Sugar Pine Reservoir to the Foresthill area.[1]

In 2003, the Foresthill Public Utility District purchased Sugar Pine Dam, reservoir, and the pipeline from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for $3.1 million.[4] As of 2012, the district provides water to 1,875 homes and 75 businesses in and around Foresthill.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Auburn-Folsom South Unit Project". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. August 31, 2009. Archived from the original on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sugar Pine Reservoir
  3. ^ a b c Long, Roberta (March 23, 2012). "Foresthill Public Utility District Fights for Its Life". Mountain Democrat. Placerville, California. p. A2. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  4. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Foresthill Public Utility District. Retrieved 29 September 2014.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Auburn-Folsom South Unit Project. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

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