USGS Water-Year Summary for Site 11239500

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	00054 Reservoir storage(Obs.)

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Water year 2023: 2022-10-01 to 2023-09-30

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USGS Water-Year Summary 2023

11239500 Shaver Lake near Big Creek, CA

LOCATION - Lat 37°08'41", long 119°18'06" referenced to North American Datum of 1927, in SW 1/4 SE 1/4 sec.13, T.9 S., R.24 E., Fresno County, CA, Hydrologic Unit 18040006, in Sierra National Forest, near center of dam on Stevenson Creek, and 5.2 mi southwest of town of Big Creek.

DRAINAGE AREA - 29.1 mi².

REVISIONS HISTORY - WSP 1565: Drainage area.

SURFACE-WATER RECORDS

PERIOD OF RECORD - November 1909 to current year. Prior to January 1927, monthly contents only, published in WSP 1315-A; January 1927 to September 1931, published in WSP 721. Maximum and minimum daily contents (water years 1928-39) summarized in WSP 881. Prior to 1960, maximum and minimum daily contents were published.

GAGE - Water-stage recorder. Datum of gage is NGVD of 1929 (levels by Southern California Edison Co.). Prior to Jan. 11, 1927, gage on rock-fill dam a short distance upstream at different datum.

COOPERATION - Records were collected by Southern California Edison Co., under general supervision of the U.S. Geological Survey, in connection with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission project nos. 67 and 120. Contents not rounded to U.S. Geological Survey standards.

REMARKS - Storage began prior to 1905. Original lake formed by rock-fill dam, usable capacity, 5,500 acre-ft. Water diverted by Fresno Flume and Lumber Co.'s Flumes No. 1 and 2 beginning prior to 1907 and discontinued July 7, 1920. Present lake formed by concrete-arch dam; dam completed Nov. 18, 1927. Contents based on capacity table dated Jan. 5, 2012. Usable capacity of present lake, 135,568 acre-ft, between elevations 5,225 ft, trash-rack foundation, and 5,370.13 ft, crest of spillway. Additional storage of 92 acre-ft is not available for release. Water is received from Pitman Creek (since Feb. 22, 1928) and Huntington Lake (since Apr. 21, 1928) via Huntington-Shaver Conduit and Eastwood Powerplant (station 11238250). Water is released for power development in Big Creek powerplants. On Sept. 1, 2011, the low-level HB outlet valve was opened to start the draining of the reservoir, as a final stage of a two-year project to install an impervious liner on the entire upstream face of the dam. On Feb. 6, 2012, the HB valve was closed to start the slow filling process, with normal operations returning the minimum release required out of the reservoir, on Feb. 7, 2012. As a result of LiDAR-based (light detection and ranging) topographic surveys of the exposed bottom and shoreline of Shaver Lake, performed during the complete draining of the reservoir, a new capacity table was developed and commenced Jan. 5, 2012. Records, excluding extremes, represent contents at 2400 hours. See schematic diagram of lower San Joaquin River Basin available from the California Water Science Center.

EXTREMES FOR PERIOD OF RECORD - Maximum contents, 135,897 acre-ft, July 5, 1946, Aug. 4, 1978, maximum elevation, 5,370.28 ft, Aug. 4, 1978; minimum contents, 0 acre-ft, estimated, Dec. 5, 2011 thru Feb. 5, 2012, minimum elevation, 5,212.87 ft, Jan. 5, 2012.