New Bullards Bar Reservoir
Encyclopedia
New Bullards Bar Reservoir is a large reservoir in northeastern Yuba County, California
, at an elevation of 2000 feet (609.6 m) in the Tahoe National Forest
and about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Yuba City, California
. The 969600 acre.foot reservoir is formed by New Bullards Bar Dam
on the North Fork of the Yuba River
, a tributary of the Sacramento River
. It also receives a portion of the Middle Fork's flow that is diverted to the reservoir via tunnels.
The dam is a 635-foot (194 m) high concrete
variable radius arch dam. It was finished in 1970 and is owned by the Yuba County Water Agency. It is a multipurpose dam, but its most important function is flood
control, which 170000 acre.ft of the reservoir's capacity is dedicated to. While this is only 17.5% of the reservoir's total capacity, it is enough to create a medium-sized reservoir by itself. The dam also provides water for irrigation
, hydroelectricity
production and recreation, including boating
, water skiing
, fishing
and camping
.
The reservoir provides water to power two hydroelectric plants, New Colgate Powerhouse and Fish Release Powerhouse. New Colgate Powerhouse is not located at the base of the dam, like most hydroelectric plants. Instead, the 14 feet (4.3 m) diameter New Colgate Tunnel carries the water about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the dam to the powerhouse
. This increases the head, which allows the plant to produce more electricity
. The dam's Pelton wheel
s are the largest ever built and have a combined capacity of 315 MW. Some water is released at the base of the dam so that the streambed is not completely dewatered upstream of the New Colgate Powerhouse tailrace. This water powers the 150 kW Fish Release Powerhouse. In the event of a power outage, this plant can operate the dam's massive spillway
gates.
Bullards Bar Reservoir is also used for outdoor recreation. It is 16 miles (25.7 km) in length and has 60+ miles of shoreline. Water Ski Magazine rates Bullards Bar Reservoir as one of the best recreational lakes in the United States. Bullards Bar offers two boat launching facilities with one launch ramp adjacent to Emerald Cove Marina. Emerald Cove Marina offers a variety of services, such as a general store, gasoline, boat moorage, and camping as well as houseboat, ski, patio, and fishing boat rentals.
Yuba County, California
Yuba County is a county located in the U.S. state of California's Central Valley, north of Sacramento, along the Feather River. As of the 2010 census, its population was 72,155. The county seat is Marysville. Yuba County is part of the Greater Sacramento area.-History:Yuba County was one of the...
, at an elevation of 2000 feet (609.6 m) in the Tahoe National Forest
Tahoe National Forest
Tahoe National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in the state of California, northwest of Lake Tahoe. It includes the peak of Sierra Buttes, near Sierra City, which has views of Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta. It is located in parts of six counties. In descending order of forestland area...
and about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Yuba City, California
Yuba City, California
Yuba City is a Northern California city, founded in 1849. It is the county seat of Sutter County, California, United States. The population was 64,925 at the 2010 census....
. The 969600 acre.foot reservoir is formed by New Bullards Bar Dam
New Bullards Bar Dam
New Bullards Bar Dam is a dam in California on the North Yuba River and forms the New Bullards Bar Reservoir, which has a capacity of . It is located near the town of Dobbins in Yuba County. The dam is operated by the Yuba County Water Agency for irrigation, drinking water and hydroelectric power...
on the North Fork of the Yuba River
Yuba River
The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sacramento Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is one of the Feather's most important branches, providing about a third of its flow. The main stem of the river is about long, and its headwaters are split into North, Middle and South...
, a tributary of 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...
. It also receives a portion of the Middle Fork's flow that is diverted to the reservoir via tunnels.
The dam is a 635-foot (194 m) high concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
variable radius arch dam. It was finished in 1970 and is owned by the Yuba County Water Agency. It is a multipurpose dam, but its most important function is flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
control, which 170000 acre.ft of the reservoir's capacity is dedicated to. While this is only 17.5% of the reservoir's total capacity, it is enough to create a medium-sized reservoir by itself. The dam also provides water for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
production and recreation, including boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
.
The reservoir provides water to power two hydroelectric plants, New Colgate Powerhouse and Fish Release Powerhouse. New Colgate Powerhouse is not located at the base of the dam, like most hydroelectric plants. Instead, the 14 feet (4.3 m) diameter New Colgate Tunnel carries the water about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the dam to the powerhouse
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
. This increases the head, which allows the plant to produce more electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. The dam's Pelton wheel
Pelton wheel
The Pelton wheel is an impulse turbine which is among the most efficient types of water turbines. It was invented by Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s. The Pelton wheel extracts energy from the impulse of moving water, as opposed to its weight like traditional overshot water wheel...
s are the largest ever built and have a combined capacity of 315 MW. Some water is released at the base of the dam so that the streambed is not completely dewatered upstream of the New Colgate Powerhouse tailrace. This water powers the 150 kW Fish Release Powerhouse. In the event of a power outage, this plant can operate the dam's massive spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
gates.
Bullards Bar Reservoir is also used for outdoor recreation. It is 16 miles (25.7 km) in length and has 60+ miles of shoreline. Water Ski Magazine rates Bullards Bar Reservoir as one of the best recreational lakes in the United States. Bullards Bar offers two boat launching facilities with one launch ramp adjacent to Emerald Cove Marina. Emerald Cove Marina offers a variety of services, such as a general store, gasoline, boat moorage, and camping as well as houseboat, ski, patio, and fishing boat rentals.