Canyon Dam (California)
| Company type | Dam |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hydroelectric power, Water storage |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Great Western Power Company |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Northern California |
| Products | Hydroelectric power, Water storage |
| Owner | Pacific Gas and Electric |
Canyon Dam (National ID # CA00327m), also referred to as Lake Almanor Dam, is an earthfill embankment structure situated on the North Fork Feather River in northern California. It lies roughly southwest of Westwood and southeast of Chester. This dam forms Lake Almanor, a significant reservoir encircled by the Cascade Mountain range.
The dam was first built in 1910 by the Great Western Power Company as a component of the Upper North Fork Feather River Project. Initially designed as a masonry dam, the plan was revised to construct an earthfill embankment instead. Its main function was to store water for the Western Canal Company, an irrigation district within California's Central Valley and a subsidiary of Great Western. Water from Canyon Dam was directed to a hydroelectric facility located downstream at Big Bend Powerhouse, which is now submerged beneath Lake Oroville, created by the Oroville Dam. Enhancements to increase storage volume were made to Canyon Dam in 1927 and again in 1962.
The dam and its reservoir are presently owned by Pacific Gas and Electric, serving the 41 megawatt Butt Valley Powerhouse and regulating summer water flow for six additional hydroelectric plants positioned downstream along the North Fork Feather River.