Lake Spaulding Dam
Lake Spaulding Dam[1] (National ID # CA00358) is a dam in Nevada County, California.
Owned and operated by Pacific Gas & Electric for hydroelectric power generation, the 275-foot (84 m)-high dam was designed by John R. Freeman and completed in 1913.[2][3]
It impounds the South Fork of the Yuba River, which originates near Donner Pass. At the time of construction it was the highest dam in California,[4] and one of ten PG&E hydroelectric facilities.[5] A temporary camp called Camp Spaulding, California was established to house workers on the dam during its construction.
Lake Spaulding, the reservoir created by the dam, has a capacity of 74,773 acre-feet (92,231,000 m3)[2] and supports recreational camping, boating, fishing, and underwater diving.[6]
Climate
| Climate data for Lake Spaulding, California, 1991–2020 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 43.9 (6.6) |
45.8 (7.7) |
50.6 (10.3) |
56.0 (13.3) |
63.8 (17.7) |
74.6 (23.7) |
82.1 (27.8) |
81.5 (27.5) |
76.3 (24.6) |
64.8 (18.2) |
51.3 (10.7) |
42.9 (6.1) |
61.1 (16.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.5 (1.4) |
36.0 (2.2) |
38.9 (3.8) |
43.2 (6.2) |
50.5 (10.3) |
58.8 (14.9) |
65.2 (18.4) |
64.3 (17.9) |
60.1 (15.6) |
50.8 (10.4) |
40.4 (4.7) |
34.0 (1.1) |
48.1 (8.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25.1 (−3.8) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
37.2 (2.9) |
42.9 (6.1) |
48.3 (9.1) |
47.1 (8.4) |
43.9 (6.6) |
36.8 (2.7) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
25.1 (−3.8) |
35.0 (1.7) |
| Source: NOAA[7] | |||||||||||||
See also
References
- ^ "Lake Spaulding 97-029 Dam". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b "Dams Within the Jurisdiction of the State of California (H-M)" (PDF). California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ "Biographical Memoir of John Ripley Freeman, 1855–1932" (PDF). National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ Cassier's engineering monthly, Volumes 43-44, page 107
- ^ The Electric journal, Volume 12, by Electric Club, Westinghouse Club, page 265
- ^ "Spaulding Lake : Sierra Outdoor Recreation©". Archived from the original on 2012-05-16. Retrieved 2012-07-28.
- ^ "NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access - LAKE SPAULDING, CA". www.ncei.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2026-03-06.