Electra Lake
| Electra Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | La Plata County, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 37°34′08″N 107°48′32″W / 37.569°N 107.809°WCoordinates: 37°34′08″N 107°48′32″W / 37.569°N 107.809°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Cascade Creek |
| Primary outflows | Tacoma Generating Station |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Water volume | 22,000 acre·ft |
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-feet.
History
Electra Lake Dam, also known as Terminal Dam or Cascade #2, is a rockfill structure with a height of 103 feet and a length of 1275 feet 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 square miles.
No hydroelectric energy is produced at the dam; water is channeled 18 miles offsite to the Tacoma Hydro Generating Station via a 4400-foot 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
- ↑ Xcel Energy. "Tacoma Hydro Generating Station". Retrieved May 6, 2012.
- ↑ http://findlakes.com/electra_lake_colorado~co00895.htm
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ http://www.xcelenergy.com/About_Us/Our_Company/Power_Generation/Tacoma_Hydro_Generating_Station
- ↑ electralake.com. "A Very Brief History of Electra Lake" (PDF). Retrieved May 6, 2012.
- ↑ electralake.com. "Electra Lake Recreation Information" (PDF). Retrieved May 6, 2012.