 Shasta dam with Shasta Lake behind it and Mt. Shasta in the distance Shasta Dam is a curved gravity concrete dam (National ID No. CA10186) on the Sacramento River above Redding, California built between 1938 and 1945. The dam is 183 m (602 ft) high and 1038 m (3,460 ft) long, with a base width or thickness of 165.5 m (543 ft).
Shasta Dam is part of the Shasta and Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project initially started with funds provided by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 (49 Stat. 115), authorized in December 1935; the Shasta and Trinity Division was authorized in August 1955. The purpose of the Central Valley Project is that of water conservation and Shasta Dam was constructed primarily to protect the California Central Valley from water shortages and floods. The dam now provides flood control, irrigation and domestic water supply, electrical power generation, opportunities for recreation, and water quality enhancement.
The reservoir created behind Shasta Dam is known as Shasta Lake and is a popular recreational boating area.
In September of 2004 legislation was passed to research the raising of the Shasta Dam once again. Supporters such as Senator Dianne Feinstein feel that the need for water is urgent. Opponents such as the Winnemem Wintu tribe feel that this is a dangerous plan for the environment and that other water conservation techniques can be better researched.
External link and reference
- Shasta Dam (http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/dams/ca10186.htm), Bureau or Reclamation, U.S. Dept. of the Interior
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