Box Canyon Dam is a concrete
gravity dam
A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is ...
on the Upper
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River () is the principal river of Northern California in the United States and is the largest river in California. Rising in the Klamath Mountains, the river flows south for before reaching the Sacramento–San Joaquin River D ...
impounding
reservoir, in
Siskiyou County
Siskiyou County ( ) is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka and its highest point is Mount Shasta. It falls within the Casca ...
, northern
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.
Description
The dam and reservoir are located in Box Canyon of the eastern
Trinity Mountains
The Trinity Mountains are a subrange of the Klamath Mountains, one of the ranges within the California Coast Ranges and part the greater Pacific Coast Ranges, the coastal mountain system extending from Mexico to Alaska. The Trinity Mountains subr ...
and within the
Shasta–Trinity National Forest
The Shasta–Trinity National Forest is a federally designated forest in northern California, United States. It is the largest National forest (United States), National Forest in California and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 2,210, ...
, southwest of the
town of Mount Shasta and
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta ( ; Shasta people, Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk language, Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a Volcano#Volcanic activity, potentially active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. A ...
peak.
Box Canyon Dam is long and high. The dam is owned and operated by Siskiyou County's Flood Control & Water Conservation District and Siskiyou Power Authority, and was completed in 1965 to provide flood control. In 1965, a powerhouse was installed to provide
hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
.
History
Beginning in April 1959, the State of California appropriated funding to study the feasibility of building the dam.
Recreation
The Box Canyon Trail begins on the north side of Box Canyon Dam, following the Upper Sacramento River down the narrow canyon to the outskirts of the town of Mount Shasta. The Lake Siskiyou Trail encircles the lake, including a crossing atop the dam.
MSTA: Lake Siskiyou Trail aerial view map
/ref>
See also
*
* List of dams and reservoirs in California
Following is a list of dams and reservoirs in California in a sortable table. There are over 1,400 named dams and 1,300 named reservoirs in the state of California.
Dams in service
:''Please add to this list from the below sources.''
Former ...
References
External links
Living Shasta Photography Blog: Lake Siskiyou's Box Canyon Dam
— ''photo gallery, interiors/exteriors of dam + powerhouse''.
*
Dams in California
Dams on the Sacramento River
Buildings and structures in Siskiyou County, California
Gravity dams
United States local public utility dams
Trinity Mountains (California)
Dams completed in 1970
1970 establishments in California
Mount Shasta, California (city)
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
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