KESWICK POWERPLANT
Keswick Powerplant
Keswick Dam and Powerplant
| Plant Contact: | Brian Person Area Manager, Northern California Area Office |
| Telephone Numbers: | Phone: (530) 275-1554 Fax: (530) 275-2441 |
| E-Mail Address: | bperson@mp.usbr.gov |
| Reclamation Region: | Mid-Pacific |
| NERC Region: | Western Electricity Coordinating Council, California - Southern Nevada Power Area |
| PMA Service Area: | Western Area Power Administration, Sierra Nevada Region |
| Project Authorization: | Funds for construction of the initial features of the Central Valley Project were provided by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 (49 Stat. 115). The Secretary of the Interior authorized the project and the President approved it on December 2, 1935. The Trinity River Division was authorized by Public Law 386, 84th Congress, 1st Session, approved August 12, 1955. |
| Project Purposes: | The Central Valley Project, one of the Nation's major water conservation developments, extends from the Cascade Range on the north to the semiarid but fertile plains along the Kern River on the south. Initial features of the project were built primarily to protect the Central Valley from crippling water shortages and menacing floods. New project units were built to provide water and power to match the continued growth of the State. Although developed primarily for irrigation, this multiple-purpose project also provides flood control, improves Sacramento River navigation, supplies domestic and industrial water, generates electric power, conserves fish and wildlife, creates opportunities for recreation, and enhances water quality. |
| Plant Facts: | Keswick Dam is a concrete gravity structure 157 feet high and 20 feet wide at the crest. The crest is 1,046 feet long. The Keswick Powerplant, located at Keswick Dam, has three generating units with a total capacity of 117,000 kilowatts. |
| Plant Purpose: | Keswick Powerplant is a run-of-the-river plant which is dedicated first to meeting the energy requirements of the project facilities. The remaining energy is marketed to various preference customers in northern California. |
| Plant History: | Units were uprated in 1992. |
| Present Activities: | Normal operations. Maintain and regulate river releases. |
| Future Planned Activities: | None |
| Special Issues: | Plant augments local loads during system disturbances. |
| River: | Sacramento River |
| Plant Type: | Conventional |
| Powerhouse Type: | Above Ground |
| Turbine Type: | Francis |
| Original Nameplate Capacity: | 75,000 kW |
| Installed Capacity: | 117,000 kW |
| Year of Initial Operation: | 1949 |
| Age: | 56 years |
| Net Generation: (FY 2005) |
383,010,000 kWh |
| Rated Head: | 78 feet |
| Plant Factor: (FY 2005) |
37.53 percent |
| Remotely Operated: | No |
| Production Mode: | Intermediate |
Click here for graphs and charts of Keswick Powerplant performance.
Click here for information on Keswick Dam.
Click here for information on the Central Valley Project.
See also our Mid-Pacific Region's Northern California Area Office Page
Revised April 10, 2007 Hydropower Site Map Help