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Redinger Lake and Dam

The dam at Redinger Lake (also known as Big Creek Dam No. 7) and intake structure are located about 6.3 river miles upstream of the Big Creek No. 4 Powerhouse. The dam is a concrete gravity dam, 250 feet high, and contains a maximum capacity of 35,000 TAF. The top of the dam, at elevation 1,413.5, is 875 feet long. The spillway has a crest elevation of 1,373 feet and is equipped with three 40-foot wide by 30-foot high radial gates. These gates are located approximately in the middle section of the dam crest. Normal maximum operating water level is elevation 1,403. The intake to the power tunnel leading to the Big Creek No. 4 Powerhouse is located on the face of the dam to the right (looking downstream) of the spillway gates.

This intake has fullheight trash racks. The intake is divided into two rectangular openings, which can be closed by two wheel gates that are cable-suspended, electric-hoist-operated, and 8 feet by 17 feet and 8 inches. The outlet makes a transition to a 115-foot long, 17-foot diameter, welded steel pipe within and just beyond the dam section; thence, the pipe leads to the unlined power tunnel. A turbine generator unit installed at the dam recovers energy from water released  hrough the dam for instream flow purposes. The turbine is a Francis type horizontal shaft, hydraulic reaction turbine rated at 500 hp with a design head of 222 feet and speed of 1,200 rpm. This turbine is connected to a 350 kW generator, which feeds into the local 12 kV distribution system.


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