Electra Lake

Electra Lake is a privately owned reservoir in La Plata County Colorado. Owned by Xcel Energy, Electra Lake provides water storage for the Tacoma Hydro Generating Station.[1] The reservoir's maximum capacity is 29,800 acre⋅ft (9.7 billion US gal; 36.8 billion l).

Electra Lake
Electra Lake
Electra Lake
LocationLa Plata County, Colorado
Coordinates37.569°N 107.809°W / 37.569; -107.809
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsCascade Creek
Primary outflowsTacoma Generating Station
Basin countriesUnited States
Water volume22,000 acre⋅ft (27 hm3)

History

Electra Lake Dam, also known as Terminal Dam or Cascade #2, is a rockfill structure with a height of 103 ft (31 m) and a length of 1,275 ft (389 m) at its crest, completed in 1902.[2] The lake was named after Electra, a character in mythology.[3] It has a normal surface area of 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2).

No hydroelectric energy is produced at the dam; water is channeled 18 mi (29 km) offsite to the Tacoma Hydro Generating Station via a 4,400 ft (1,300 m) open wooden flume, "one of only two wooden flumes still operating on hydro projects in the United States."[4] The Tacoma powerhouse stands in the Animas River Canyon and is accessible only by the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Owned and operated by Xcel Energy, the dam was rebuilt in 1980.[5]

Recreation and marinas

The lake is open to the public for fee use during the summer months.[6]

References
  1. Xcel Energy. "Tacoma Hydro Generating Station". Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  2. http://findlakes.com/electra_lake_colorado~co00895.htm
  3. Dawson, John Frank. Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 20.
  4. http://www.xcelenergy.com/About_Us/Our_Company/Power_Generation/Tacoma_Hydro_Generating_Station
  5. electralake.com. "A Very Brief History of Electra Lake" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 23, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  6. electralake.com. "Electra Lake Recreation Information" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 23, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2012.


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