Nacimiento Dam

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Image 1. Nacimiento Dam.

A Environmental Topics summary by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.

The mission of this digital enclyopedia entry is to provide a brief overview of the Nacimiento Dam, a history of construction, its environmental impact, and post-construction monitoring efforts. This page is presented as a result of a collaborative effort between CSUMB students, faculty, and staff.

History

The dam was completed in 1957 and is under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Water Resources.[1]

Location

The Nacimiento Dam is located at 35°45′31″ N, 120°53′6″ W. [2]

Nacimiento Dam and its reservoir, Nacimiento Reservoir, are located in northern San Luis Obispo County, about 20 miles from the coast, in central California. [3]

Specifications

When the reservoir is full (elevation 800 feet) it has a maximum storage capacity of 377,900 acre-feet, is 18 miles long, and has about 165 miles of shoreline. The maximum elevation during flood stage is 825 feet, with a maximum temporary capacity of 538,000 acre feet and a temporary surface area of 7,149 acres.

Classifications

Dam Type as determined by the California Department of Water Resources: ERTH - Earth

Dam Usage as determined by the California Department of Water Resrources: FC,DOM,IRR,MUN,POW - Flood Control, Domestic, Irrigation, Municpial, Power[4]

Use Cases

Operational Pools

Operational pools have been created to aid in the management of water being stored in the reservoir. The conservation pool which extends from the minimum pool to the concrete spillway elevation of 787.75 feet is the operational pool used to store water for later release to the Salinas River for groundwater recharge, fish passage, and the operation of the Salinas Valley Water Project. The flood pool extends from the concrete spillway to an elevation of 801 feet or 1 foot above the top of the inflated Obermeyer spillway gate. The flood pool is intended to provide winter flood protection by maintaining the ability of the spillway to pass the Probable Maximum Flood without overtopping of the dam.[5]

Power

A 4-megawatt powerplant is constructed at the right dam abutment. The plant contains both large and small turbines that operate in the range of 25 cfs to 400 cfs. To maximize power production, two sets of runners have been provided. One set is used at low reservoir elevations and the second at high reservoir elevations.[6]

Dam Safety

Overview

A dam failure is the structural collapse of a dam that releases the water stored in the reservoir behind the dam. A dam failure is usually the result of the age of the structure, inadequate spillway capacity, or structural damage caused by an earthquake or flood. The Nacimiento Dam is classified as “Extremely High” downstream hazard potential dams by the Division of Safety of Dams of the California Department of Water Resources.[7]

Dam Failure Simulation Results

Spillway Failure Simulation Results

Current Data

References

  1. https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/water-resources-agency/projects-facilities/dams-and-reservoirs/
  2. https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1693269
  3. https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/water-resources-agency/projects-facilities/dams-and-reservoirs/
  4. http://cdec.water.ca.gov/misc/damInfo.html
  5. https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/water-resources-agency/projects-facilities/dams-and-reservoirs/
  6. https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/government-links/water-resources-agency/projects-facilities/dams-and-reservoirs/
  7. https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/administrative-office/office-of-emergency-services/ready-monterey-county/hazard-ready/dam-failure

Links

Disclaimer

This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.