Dams

THE DAMS

The Battle Creek Hydroelectric Project was originally developed to support the power demand of mineral extraction in Shasta County including Iron Mountain Mine near Redding. This project includes eight dams that block migrations of salmon and steelhead, 42 miles of diversion canals, pipelines, flumes, and ten additional dams upstream of anadromous reaches. CalTrout is working with our partners to accelerate the decommissioning process to ensure fish have full access to their historical range in the watershed and to restore the natural flow regime. The watershed was seen as an ideal drainage for hydropower generation due, in part, to its spring-fed water supply.

Owner:

Originally built by Keswick Power Company and now owned by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)

Location:

Battle Creek, tributary to the Sacramento River near Red Bluff, CA

Completion Date:

Hydroelectric development began in the early 1900’s. PG&E acquired the facility in 1919 and the fifth and final powerhouse was added in 1980.

Size:

4 -51 ft in height. Water storage capacity totals 1,657 acre feet (range by reservoir 15 - 1,090 ).

Stakeholders:

Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, PG&E, California Bay-Delta Authority, California State Water Resources Control Board, The Nature Conservancy, California Wildlife Conservation Board, Trout Unlimited, American Whitewater, American Rivers, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, and local community members.

Land Acknowledgment

The Battle Creek Dams are located on the ancestral lands of the Yana people. Today the Wintu Tribe of Redding Rancheria and the Paskenta Bank of Nomlaki Indians are the stewards of the Yana legacy.

Voice of Battle Creek Dams

Matt Brown U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Project Leader, Red Bluff Office
 

Get Involved, Take Action!

Help Restore Battle Creek: Subscribe to CalTrout’s newsletter to stay up to date on any developments. CalTrout’s expansion into the Battle Creek watershed is funded by our 50th Anniversary Impact Fund. Support this work by donating to the Impact Fund today.

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Learn More

Learn more about Battle Creek Dams by checking out our Dams Out StoryMap.

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February 8, 2022

Battle Creek Dams

February 8, 2022
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