11427400 FRENCH MEADOWS RESERVOIR NEAR FORESTHILL, CA
LOCATION.-Lat 39°06'32", long 120°25'49", in SW 1/4 NE 1/4 sec.32, T.15 N., R.14 E., Placer County,
Hydrologic Unit 18020128, Tahoe National Forest, on left bank, 2.2 mi upstream from dam, on Middle Fork American
River, 6.9 mi upstream from Chipmunk Creek, and 21 mi northeast of Foresthill.
DRAINAGE AREA.-47.0 mi2.
PERIOD OF RECORD.-December 1964 to current year.
GAGE.-Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is sea level (levels by Placer County Water Agency).
REMARKS.-Reservoir is formed by rockfill dam with earth core. Storage began Dec. 21, 1964. Usable capacity,
125,601 acre-ft between elevations 5,125 ft, minimum operating level, and 5,263 ft, top of radial gates. Dead
storage, 10,804 acre-ft. Reservoir is used to store water for hydroelectric power. Up to 400 ft3/s
diverted from Duncan Creek through a tunnel to reservoir. Water is released through a tunnel to French Meadows
Powerplant (station 11427200) at Hell Hole Reservoir (station 11428700) on the Rubicon River; releases began Dec.
13, 1965. See schematic diagram of Middle Fork American and Rubicon River Basins.
COOPERATION.-Records provided by Placer County Water Agency, under general supervision of the U.S. Geological
Survey, in connection with a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission project.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD.-Maximum contents, 137,700 acre-ft, May 19, 1966, elevation, 5,263.9 ft; minimum
since reservoir first filled, 28,500 acre-ft, Oct. 21-24, 1991, elevation, 5,157.6 ft.
EXTREMES FOR CURRENT YEAR.-Maximum contents, 131,500 acre-ft, June 27, elevation, 5,259.5 ft; minimum, 62,100
acre-ft, Nov. 16, elevation, 5,199.6 ft.
Capacity table (elevation, in feet, and contents, in acre-feet)
(Based on a survey by Placer County Water Agency in 1965)
5,125 10,800 5,200 62,400
5,130 13,100 5,230 94,100
5,150 23,700 5,270 146,500
5,170 37,100
RESERVOIR STORAGE (ACRE-FEET), WATER YEAR OCTOBER 1998 TO SEPTEMBER 1999
DAILY OBSERVATION AT 2400 HOURS
DAY OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP
1 88000 70400 65200 70500 84800 100400 91900 93700 118200 130800 119900 105400
2 87500 69700 65400 70600 84900 100900 91400 94200 119100 130500 119300 104900
3 86900 69200 66500 70600 85100 101100 91000 94400 119300 130400 118800 104500
4 86400 68400 66900 70700 85400 101100 90500 94200 119500 130400 118300 104200
5 85800 67600 67100 70800 85600 100900 90200 94100 119700 130200 117900 103900
6 85400 66800 67300 70800 85900 100700 89700 94400 120000 129800 117400 103600
7 84800 66200 67500 70900 87100 100300 89200 95000 120300 129400 117000 103100
8 84400 65900 67600 70900 88400 100000 88700 95500 120800 129100 116600 102700
9 83900 65300 67700 71000 90400 99600 88100 95700 121200 128700 116200 102200
10 83300 64700 67800 71000 91200 99200 87700 96100 121600 128300 115800 101700
11 82700 64200 67900 71100 91800 98800 87100 96500 122100 128200 115300 101500
12 82200 63600 68000 71100 92200 98300 86600 97300 123000 127800 114800 101100
13 81500 63000 68100 71200 92700 97800 86300 98200 124100 127400 114300 100800
14 81100 62700 68300 71300 93000 97300 85900 98500 124900 127000 113800 100300
15 80600 62400 68400 71600 93400 96900 85800 98800 126000 126700 113400 99800
16 80000 62100 68600 72000 94000 96400 85700 99000 127100 126300 112900 99400
17 79500 62200 68800 72600 94900 96100 85900 99400 127800 126000 112500 98900
18 79000 62200 69000 74800 95600 95700 86400 100000 128500 125700 112000 98600
19 78300 62300 69200 76400 95900 95400 86900 100500 129300 125300 111400 98300
20 77700 62300 69400 78800 96400 95000 87600 101600 130000 125100 110800 97900
21 77200 62300 69500 79800 96800 94700 88300 103000 130400 124500 110600 97300
22 76500 62400 69600 80600 97100 94300 88700 104700 130700 124100 110200 97000
23 76100 62900 69700 81800 97300 93800 88900 106600 130900 123700 109700 96400
24 75400 63100 69800 82400 97600 93400 89300 108700 131200 123300 109200 95900
25 75000 63200 69900 82800 97900 93000 90000 111000 131200 123000 108700 95500
26 74100 63200 70000 83300 98200 92800 90900 113100 131400 122500 108300 95000
27 73300 63300 70100 83500 98500 92700 91500 115000 131400 122000 107700 94500
28 72500 63400 70100 83800 99000 92500 92200 116300 131200 121600 107200 94100
29 71900 63700 70200 84000 --- 92200 93200 116900 131200 121000 106900 93600
30 71100 64800 70300 84300 --- 92200 93500 117200 131100 120500 106400 93000
31 70700 --- 70300 84600 --- 92100 --- 117500 --- 120300 105800 ---
MAX 88000 70400 70300 84600 99000 101100 93500 117500 131400 130800 119900 105400
MIN 70700 62100 65200 70500 84800 92100 85700 93700 118200 120300 105800 93000
a 5208.4 5202.5 5208.0 5221.6 5234.2 5228.3 5229.5 5249.1 5259.2 5251.2 5239.8 5229.1
b -17800 -5900 +5500 +14300 +14400 -6900 +1400 +24000 +13600 -10800 -14500 -12800
CAL YR 1998 b +19700
WTR YR 1999 b +4500
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