Ah Pah Dam
Encyclopedia
Ah Pah Dam was a dam on the Klamath River
in the U.S. state
of California
proposed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation
as part of its United Western Investigation study in 1951. It was to have been 813 feet (247.8 m) high and was to be located 12 miles (19.3 km) upstream of the river's mouth. It would stand almost as tall as the Transamerica Pyramid
building in San Francisco, but would be much more massive. It would flood 40 miles (64.4 km) of the Trinity River
, including the Hupa
Indian Reservation, the lower Salmon River
, and 70 miles (112.7 km) of the Klamath River, creating a reservoir with a volume of 15000000 acre.ft - two-thirds of the size of Lake Mead
, and becoming the largest reservoir in California. The water would flow by gravity through a tunnel 60 miles (96.6 km) long to the Sacramento River
just above Redding
and onward to Southern California, in an extreme diversion scheme known as the Klamath Diversion
. The tunnel would have been located near the southernmost extent of the reservoir. It was named in the language of the Yurok
people.
Klamath River
The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
proposed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The United States Bureau of Reclamation , and formerly the United States Reclamation Service , is an agency under the U.S...
as part of its United Western Investigation study in 1951. It was to have been 813 feet (247.8 m) high and was to be located 12 miles (19.3 km) upstream of the river's mouth. It would stand almost as tall as the Transamerica Pyramid
Transamerica Pyramid
The Transamerica Pyramid is the tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline and one of its most iconic. Although the building no longer houses the headquarters of the Transamerica Corporation, it is still strongly associated with the company and is depicted in the company's logo...
building in San Francisco, but would be much more massive. It would flood 40 miles (64.4 km) of the Trinity River
Trinity River (California)
The Trinity River is the longest tributary of the Klamath River, approximately long, in northwestern California in the United States. It drains an area of the Coast Ranges, including the southern Klamath Mountains, northwest of the Sacramento Valley...
, including the Hupa
Hupa
Hupa, also spelled Hoopa, are a Native American tribe in northwestern California. Their autonym is Natinixwe, also spelled Natinookwa, meaning "People of the Place Where the Trails Return." The majority of the tribe is enrolled in the federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe; however, some Hupa are...
Indian Reservation, the lower Salmon River
Salmon River (California)
The Salmon River is a tributary to the Klamath River in western Siskiyou County, California.The river has its origins in the high mountains of the Trinity Alps, Russian Mountains, and Marble Mountains...
, and 70 miles (112.7 km) of the Klamath River, creating a reservoir with a volume of 15000000 acre.ft - two-thirds of the size of Lake Mead
Lake Mead
Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States. It is located on the Colorado River about southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona. Formed by water impounded by the Hoover Dam, it extends behind the dam, holding approximately of water.-History:The lake was...
, and becoming the largest reservoir in California. The water would flow by gravity through a tunnel 60 miles (96.6 km) long to the Sacramento River
Sacramento River
The Sacramento River is an important watercourse of Northern and Central California in the United States. The largest river in California, it rises on the eastern slopes of the Klamath Mountains, and after a journey south of over , empties into Suisun Bay, an arm of the San Francisco Bay, and...
just above Redding
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
and onward to Southern California, in an extreme diversion scheme known as the Klamath Diversion
Klamath Diversion
The Klamath Diversion was a federal water project proposed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in the 1960s. It would have diverted the Klamath River in Northern California to the more arid southern part of that state...
. The tunnel would have been located near the southernmost extent of the reservoir. It was named in the language of the Yurok
Yurok tribe
The Yurok, whose name means "downriver people" in the neighboring Karuk language, are Native Americans who live in northwestern California near the Klamath River and Pacific coast...
people.