Salt Springs Reservoir
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Salt Springs Reservoir is a reservoir in eastern Amador County in the Sierra Nevadas about 30 miles east-northeast of Jackson. The reservoir is in the El Dorado National Forest at an elevation of 3,900 feet. The 141,900 acre-foot reservoir is formed by Salt Springs Dam on the North Fork of the Mokelumne River. The concrete-faced rock-fill dam is 332 feet tall and was completed in 1931. It is owned by Pacific Gas and Electric and its sole purpose is hydroelectricity production, though limited recreation is available. A short pipeline from the reservoir conveys water to the 44 MW Salt Springs Powerhouse. The water is returned to the river downstream.
The dam has a history of settlement problems caused by poor consolidation of the rocks during construction. The concrete face has been cracked may times by the movement, causing leaks. The surface of the dam consists of cracks, craters and shotcrete overlays. It was decided to use a flexible geomembrane to cover the portions of the dam with the greatest leakage. The installation of the membrane was completed in 2005.
