| Kerckhoff Dam | |
| Location Map: | California |
| Coordinates: | 37.1281°N -119.5253°W |
| Location: | Fresno County, California, United States |
| Purpose: | Flood control, Electricity, Recreation |
| Opening: | 1920 |
| Owner: | Pacific Gas & Electric |
| Dam Type: | Concrete arch |
| Dam Height: | 114feet |
| Dam Length: | 495feet[1] |
| Dam Volume: | 22000yd3 |
| Dam Elevation Crest: | 994.5feet |
| Dam Crosses: | San Joaquin River |
| Res Name: | Kerckhoff Reservoir |
| Res Capacity Total: | 4252acre feet |
| Res Catchment: | 1460mi2 |
| Plant Turbines: | 3x 12.667 MW at Powerhouse No. 1 1x 155.0 MW at Powerhouse No. 2 |
| Plant Capacity: | 193 MW |
| Plant Annual Gen: | 579,100,000 KWh |
| Website: | https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/recreation/?cid=stelprdb5308921 |
Kerckhoff Dam is a concrete arch dam on the San Joaquin River in Fresno County, California, about 10miles southwest of Big Creek. The 114feet tall dam is a run-of-the-river facility impounding 4252acre feet of water and is the primary feature of Pacific Gas and Electric's Kerckhoff hydroelectric project.[2] The dam and its 160acres 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 (MW) 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.[3]
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.[3]
The dam, named for William George Kerckhoff, was part of the "Big Creek Hydroelectric Project", the largest construction project in the world in 1910.[4]