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Water-Year Summary for Site 11428700

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Available Parameters
00054 Reservoir storage(Obs.)  

Water year 2023: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30
 
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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023
11428700 Hell Hole Reservoir near Meeks Bay, CA
LOCATION - Lat 39°03'54", long 120°24'50" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in SE 1/4 NW 1/4 sec.16, T.14 N., R.14 E., Placer County, CA, Hydrologic Unit 18020128, in Eldorado National Forest, on right bank, 0.3 mi upstream from Hell Hole Dam on Rubicon River, 15.6 mi west of Meeks Bay, and 23 mi downstream from Cottonwood Creek.
DRAINAGE AREA - 114 mi².
SURFACE-WATER RECORDS
PERIOD OF RECORD - December 1965 to current year.
GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is NGVD of 1929 (levels by Placer County Water Agency).
COOPERATION - Records provided by Placer County Water Agency, under general supervision of the U.S. Geological Survey, in connection with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission project no. 2079.
REMARKS - Reservoir is formed by rock-fill dam with earth core. Storage began Dec. 6, 1965. Contents based on capacity table 1.0, dated 1966. Usable capacity, 207,342 acre-ft, between elevations 4,287.65 ft, invert of river outlet, and 4,630.0 ft, crest of ogee spillway. Dead storage, 248 acre-ft. Reservoir is used to store water for hydroelectric power. Water is diverted into reservoir from French Meadows Reservoir (station 11427400) on the Middle Fork American River through French Meadows Powerplant (station 11427200). Water is diverted out of reservoir to the Middle Fork American River through Middle Fork Powerplant. Records, excluding extremes, represent total contents at 2400 hours. See schematic diagram of Middle Fork American and Rubicon River Basins available from the California Water Science Center.
EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Prior to Oct. 1, 2008, maximum contents at 2400 hours, 217,400 acre-ft, Jan. 2, 1997, elevation, 4,637.7 ft. Since Oct. 1, 2008, maximum contents, 210,400 acre-ft, June 29, 2011, elevation, 4,632.27 ft. Minimum since reservoir first filled, 37,499 acre-ft, Mar. 23, 1973, elevation, 4,428.28 ft.