Kerckhoff Dam


Kerckhoff Dam is a concrete arch dam on the San Joaquin River in Fresno County, California, about southwest of Big Creek. The tall dam is a run-of-the-river facility impounding of water and is the primary feature of Pacific Gas and Electric's Kerckhoff hydroelectric project. The dam and its reservoir provide water for the Kerckhoff Powerhouses No. 1 and No. 2. Powerhouse No. 1 has three Francis turbines producing a maximum of 38 megawatts and Powerhouse No. 2 has a single Francis turbine rated at 155 MW for a total project capacity of 193 MW. An annual 579.1 million KWh of electricity are generated here.
Completed in 1920, the dam and Powerhouse No. 1 were the first to utilize the San Joaquin River for hydroelectricity. The second powerhouse was added in 1983.