TRINITY RIVER BASIN RESOURCE LIBRARY Onlr
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us ......., FPC TRINITY RIVER BASIN RESOURCE LIBRARY Onlr.... R3 TRINITY COUNTY LIBRARY 1928 iYiAYERVIILF.. CA REPORT TO THE FEDhRAL POWER COMMISSION ON THE dATER POWERS OF CALIFOR1'HA ' Frank E. Bonner District ~ngineer United States Forest Service 1928 ~ r <..F~ ... ~·-~::. --· WATER POWERS CF CALIFORNIA. PLAT•E 1 • i i~lii TTY F..fVFR B;\SIN 1., c-. r1-J'· ' 1r~.- r ! ... ,,,., !', rrv ; FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION REPORT The Netion•I Forests of C.rlforn ia TO THE covtrin1 24 million ac~s of the princlc:i•I mOuntainous ueu, em bnce most of the State's water FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION · powers. ON THE WATER POWERS OF CALIFORNIA . FRANK E. BONNER ~- ~~ , D(.trict Engineer ·· ·· ·· Unihd Stat~• ForeSt SerrJiCc · -~. -_. ~,...; -~ .. ·. ~ ".:"'°-'.}_''.~; · ~---::(~-~~~~~·\:;.;~~-:.:.~.~t~;.:g.._~~.;- ~~/;:;~ .: ~\:.~~!-i:-~~ :... ~. µ :_~,;~.~-~~ -~..:,_;~==;~~~~~~ ~ -:/i-:~~ : 1.__;~:{-~\F;."'~ ffe - .. -.::,:- (ii . ~~~~~- .;;;_,-x.,:'o;: - ~ .?."~\)i"'AJ ..f.:h' - fl)' ' -;. :t ._, f" 'I, ••. j ; ~ ·, : 12):~~ k·YA.!°~;,~ !'!I -----4 '.. "r._... :0-f ~i'~p~~r:~~~·~";~ ; ~~tt~ -~-4_~ rT"J ::::0 L MAP .Of ·<! ¢ _, J. y;s · ·~· - .~ '" ..$.;_7.-, ().-" -{ l - ..,., ... ·t V> ~ · ~ /~ ,,~, #' : ·\·' . o :z 'OR Nit*.- f.:;i.~ ;·:·/;·:(/:. : _. ·' c :.,;~ ·:~f ; ,._;_~.:~- . · , __, . ~-i ~ ~~"'"'x if-':;s,,..._J.f.i ·.-f/ '# C"">-< -j~ · f't\11. ,\! f'"'~.l.i I~ J'' UNITED STATES l"T1 -:.:_,;:; .,, -......;~' ._;:,, - 1!, ' ''! :::0 \ _- i{P,,' .'; . 1··1--. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE )~- ! ,· .- ...... tr'F · WASHINGTOS >-< <: ~ ·~'-4:~ -.:.c., '.. 4-•L'N f- . ~?_! ~.. •; i".._,' '; f_:.:_ri:7 .4/ .-..:; . 19%8 corri "...:.d"~ ~:;:o :;:o OJ -<::t> A ''°'"""""Co. l:laiti more (/) :z:- . ~ } .. i t ~ ;.. i ;. , ~ ~ 'I • : • • t ·1 al ~ t s ! l ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I In the collection of data for this report many executives and engineers of the various public utility companies and municipal J 1 agencies rendered valuable aid. Special acknowledgment is due .,i .1 H. W. Dennis, chief civil engineer of Southern California Edison · } ;1 Co.; Messrs. R. A. Monroe and G. A. Hunt, engineers of Pacific Gas & Electric Co.; C. M. Mardel, chief engineer of Great Western Power Co.; Messrs. H. C. Gardett and A. R. Arledge, engineers of the Los Angeles Bureau of Power & Light; H . K. Fox, chief J engineer of San Joaquin Light & Power Corporation; R. V . Meikle, FEDERAL POWER, COMMISSION ehief engineer of the Turlock irrigation district; and W. L. Huber; 9 consulting engineer for The Southern Sierras Power Co. .J Relative to the coordination of prospective power ·and irrigation THE SECRETARY OF WAR, Chairman . projects, the advice and suggestions of Edward Hyatt, State en ~BJ; Sll:Cl!ETA..BY OJI' THE . INTERIOR. TBE SECJ!ETABY OF AORICll!.Tl!RI!'. ! gineer of California, and Paul Bailey, former State engineer, have 0 . C. MEBlUI.I., Executive Secretary n been of immeasm•able value. Moreover, the friendly spirit of co-: operation exhibited by these officials in making available the great ~l I store of unpublished data gathered by the State regarding potential I reservoir sites and comprehensive water development plans, has &.: greatly strengthened the conclusions relative to the best ultimate •: utilization of California's water resources in the public interest. For arranging the -work so that time and assistance ~ould be available for the assembly of the material comprising the report, acknowledgment is due 0. C. Merrill, executive secretary, and Maj. Glen E. Edgerton, chief engineer of the Federal Power ,) Commission; and T. W. Norcross, chief engineer, and S. B. Show, district forester, of the Forest Service. Without the sympathetic encouragement of these men the accomplishment of the task .would . , I- ·.c;-:-·,- '" .• ,,,...s· - · ·•· · ·. .· · " " _ , .,- ~,_. , have been,impracticable; ·· "'~':.- · ::_- :,· ·--: ' ~- - +;:--- , .,, '·""'""'·-if'\#}o';"" + ' ---· ' ,,, ,-; . .. ' ' ' ' ,, '' -- ,,_ ' i In the actual preparation of the report many members of the engineering staff of the Forest Service office in San Francisco ren \ dered important service. A number of th e elaborate calculations ADDITIONAL COPIES of water supply and storage operation studies were made by S. H. OF TRJS \T !O ~ ) (AY RE PROCURED f'P.0)1 PURLIC , Ketcham. Most of the diagrams and maps illustrating the plans of f[JE ~OE~T OF DOC tillE'.S"TS Sl"PERl:'\'T F. i l" .S.GOVER :'\ '.'lf t:. :'\'T Pl>! XTI:..'G OHJCE ~ power development as well as the various graphic presentations of WA SllJ!\' GT0:-0 , D. C. -'T statistical data were compiled by John F . Serex. Preparation of I 50 CENTS PER COPY the drawings for publication was accomplished under the direc . tion of H. A. Sedelmeyer, chief draftsman, and a large proportion ; of the plates execu ted directly by him. The numerous reports of ' f III , ~ • • • .tv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS field examinations made by E. W. Kramer, hydraulic engineet', con tributed a great deal of information, "hile a large portion of the statistical data is the result of careful research work by Bruce n. ' l Burnett, assistant engineer. The painstaking effort of Mrs. M. B t ~] 1 I Fulham is reflected in the coordination and arrangement of much 1 of the tabular data. The vast amount of clerical work incidental ~ CONTENTS to the preparation of the report was accomplished mainly by Miss r t'age C. Daly. The. conscientious efforts of all these members of the office II 1. Introduction _________ _____________ _ were extremely helpful in bringing the report to completion. I Purpose of report_ ____ ___ ___________________ _ l ~ Publication references _____________________ _ I ! 2 J 2. Water-power utilization in California _____________ _ 2 I Physical conditions ___________ _ 2 Water supply _______ _______ ---- _--- _-- _-- ___ - _ - - _- - - ------- - 6 Precipitation ___________________________________________ _ 6 J Run-off _______________________________________________ _ 7 Existing developments __________ ---- __ ------ ___ _------ __ ----- lo· Electric generating systems ______________________________ _ 10 ~ :I Hydroelectric projects_ ·· · · 13 Plant efficiency ______________________________ _ 19 Market and load characteristics ______________________________ _ 20 Market------------------------------------------------ 20 ij Growth of load__ · 24 Hydro-steam ratio ___ _ 25 ·1 Variation of demand ___ _____________________________ -~--_ 26 I Future growth of load __ 27 Ol'l'I..\\-~ l Ultimate development__ 30u· l Method of appraisal__ _____ _ 30 Potential resources _____ _ 32 3. Water-power resources of drainage basins ________________________ _ 34 Smith River __________ _____________ _ 34 Klamath River__ 35 47 Trinity River----- ~ ---------- - Eel River_ 5 I 55 Mc Cloud River_______ ______________________________________ 63 ) Sacramento River____________ ________________________ _______ 67 I Deer and Mill Creeks· --- -------------------- - ----------- - ---.- il WElst Branch Feather River and Butte Creek____________________ 74 6mltted Feather _River _ ___ _ --- ---c- -.-:- '"; •;::- , .-.• ,c,- -· . ];5 ~ ~: ~- ~: ~. - ~ ~ .~ .~- , ~ :-.~:. Yuba River (including0· Bear River)_______ _____________________ 84 ~ · American River_____ ___ _________________ __ _______ ___________ 94 ~ I · Mokelumne River___ ___________________ _____________________ 103 '-l I Stanislaus River_ __ _____ _______ ____ __ ___ _________ ____ _______ 108 Tuolumne River__ _________ ___ ______________ _______ ___ ______ 115 Merced River_ ___ _____ ------ -_____ ______ _ -------____ ____ ____ 122 San Joaquin Ri ,·er _______ _______ ___ _____ _____________ _ - - -- __ 126 Kings River_ ___ _______ ---- _______________ --- - --- ____ ____ -~ - 131 Kaweah River_ __ 139 Tule River. 141 Kern River ________ ___ _______ _ 142 -- ~_·. _ · ~ ·_-- - --~ Trucli:ee River ___ _-_________ ·_· ___ :: ____ ~ · ___ __ ____ _ 147 v· •1 ~ • • • > CONTENTS I VI CONTENTS VIl I I Water-power resources of drainage basins-Continued. Pa2e Installation record-Continued. Pait< Carson River_ __________ _________ _ \ 150 42. The Southern Sierras Powe r Co ________· --------------------- 187 Walker River_ __ _ 150 43. City of Pasadena ___________________________ -------________ 187 Mono Lake Basin ___________________ _ 151 44. City of San Francisco _____________________ ~ ___ ·_--------____ 187 6~? I Bishop CreeL _________________ _ 154 l 45. Turlock and Modesto irrigation districts_ __________ __ _________ 188 r Owens River Basin __________________ --------- __ ________ _____ _ 156 l ;, I 46. Merced irrigation district_ ______________________ ·____________ 188 J l' Southern California streams_: ____ _ 163 47. Los Angeles Gas & Electric Corporation______________________ 188 Appendix __ 171 48. San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Co_______ _____ _____ __ 188 49 . Escondido Mutual Water Co_________ __ _____________________ 189 f TABLES ! No. 50. Truckee River Power Co ______ _____________________________ 189 1. :Vlean >easonal run-off of California streams ______________________ . 8 51. Coast Counties Gas & Electric Co_ ___ _____ __________________ 189 2. Monthly distribution of flow, principal rivers of California _________ _ 10 52. Snow Mountain Water & Power Co_ _____ __ __________ _______ _ 189 t 3. Electric power production of the United States, 1927 _____________ . i 53. Utica Mining Co ____________________________________ ------ 190 i 11 I 4. Electric power production, 1927, California electric systems ____ -- __ 12 I 54. United States Government plants____________________________ 190 5. Generating stations,