Shasta/Trinity River Division Project
History
The Yana and Atsigewi inhabited the Shasta region before the influx of European settlers. Because the Spanish concentrated their missions along the coast of California, much of the region remained uninhabited by Europeans until the 1840s.
The discovery of gold in California brought floods of immigrants to the state. Many immigrants' attention soon turned from the lure of the goldfields to the seemingly more stable agricultural fields. Yet unstable water supplies made agriculture in the Central Valley almost as much a gamble as prospecting for gold.
After Shasta Dam was completed, Shasta Lake placed an obstacle in the path of people commuting near the reservoir. To relieve the problem, Reclamation started a ferry operation on the lake in 1945, for businesses and individuals needing to traverse the new body of water.
Reclamation established the Sacramento Valley District Dec. 14, 1945, and abolished the Kennett Division Sept. 5, 1946. On April 27, 1949, the fifth unit started operation in Shasta Powerplant, five years after the first unit started.
On July 2, 1949, Reclamation started guided tours for the public at Shasta. Completion of all facilities at the dam occurred in 1950. Reclamation formally dedicated Shasta Dam as the key structure of the Central Valley Project June 17, 1950. Shasta spilled for the first time May 18, 1952.
Plan
The Shasta and Trinity River Divisions catch the headwaters of the network of Central Valley Project waterways and channel the water southward. Both divisions are part of the Central Valley Project. They are close to each another, with the Shasta Division on the Sacramento River about 10 miles north of Redding and the Trinity River Division on the Trinity River about 25 miles northwest of Redding.
Surplus water from the Trinity River Basin is stored, regulated, and diverted through a system of dams, reservoirs, tunnels, and powerplants into the Sacramento River for use in water-deficient areas of the Central Valley Basin. Water is used for irrigation, power generation, navigation flows, environmental and wildlife conservation, and municipal and industrial needs. Reservoirs of both divisions provide boating, fishing, swimming, water skiing, camping, hunting, and sightseeing. The Forest Service administers The Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area.
Other
Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery
Located just downstream of Shasta Dam is the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery, operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The hatchery, opened in February 1998, is operated as a winter-run Chinook salmon spawning and rearing facility. With the winter-run Chinook salmon on the endangered species list, officials within Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other concerned parties assisted in getting the hatchery designed, built, and ready for business in just five short months.
As the fish migrate upstream for spawning, they are caught at Keswick Dam and transported to the hatchery for spawning. Spawning efforts include genetic testing to guarantee species identification. Fish raised at the hatchery are released back into the Sacramento River.
In 2006, the Livingston Stone National Fish Hatchery was chosen as one of only two facilities in the world tasked with raising the delta smelt, also threatened, for a backup or refuge population should the fish become extinct in the wild. This program has successfully raised the tiny fish through an entire life cycle.
Overview
Shasta Dam is located about nine miles northwest of Redding, California, on the Sacramento River. Built during the seven-year period between 1938 and 1945, the dam is a 602-foot-high concrete gravity dam, which provides flood control, power, and water supply benefits. The reservoir is also used extensively for recreation.
Shasta Dam and Shasta Reservoir are key facilities in the Central Valley Project. The water stored in the reservoir represents about 41 percent of the stored water in the CVP. Shasta Reservoir is fed by the Sacramento, Pit, and McCloud rivers, with additional water coming from Squaw Creek. This drainage area receives an average of 62 inches of annual precipitation, which in pre-dam years was a major contributor to frequent floods in the valley below.
With the construction of Shasta Dam, the river flows have been regulated and water stored. Water is used for irrigation, municipal and industrial needs, salinity control for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and to meet environmental needs. Water released to the river is sent through the Shasta Powerplant, which produces hydroelectric power for the 15-state western power grid.
General
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Construction
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