Pit 5 Dam

Pit 5 Dam is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric dam on the Pit River in Shasta County, northeastern California, about 2 mi south of Big Bend. It is part of the Pit 3-4-5 hydroelectric project owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Company.

Specifications
The concrete gravity diversion dam is 58 ft high and 340 ft long. It has a gated spillway controlled by four 50 x steel wheel gates, and a 30 in diameter river outlet for regular releases. An intake structure diverts water into a 5109 ft long penstock to the Pit 5 Tunnel forebay reservoir, from which a second 23149 ft tunnel connects to the Pit 5 power station. There are four 40 MW generating units, each fed by a 1380 ft-long penstock.

History
The dam and power station were authorized in 1942 and constructed as a wartime project, and the first power was generated on April 29, 1944. Construction of the dam and power station dewatered a stretch of the Pit River known as the "Big Bend". When the projects were relicensed in 2007, a minimum 250 cuft/s release into the river was established, to provide recreation benefits such as boating and fishing, and to improve riparian habitat.