Castaic Creek
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Castaic Creek is a stream in northern Los Angeles County, California. It is a tributary of the Santa Clara River. Castaic Dam on the creek forms Castaic Lake, but most of the water comes from the West Branch of the California Aqueduct, also called the State Water Project. The 323,700 acre foot (399,000,000 m³) lake is the terminus for west branch of the aqueduct. The aqueduct delivers water to the lake by a pipeline from Pyramid Lake. Some water is released into Castaic Lagoon, immediately downstream of the dam. The lagoon provides groundwater recharge and recreation. Downsteam of the lagoon, water continues in Castaic Creek until its confluence with the Santa Clara River, a few miles west of Santa Clarita. The rest is distributed to the northern Greater Los Angeles Area by pipelines.
Besides storing drinking water, Castaic Lake is the lower reservoir in a pumped-storage hydroelectric system. During times of peak electricity demand, water is released from Pyramid Lake and run through the turbines at Castaic Power Plant. At night, when demand and electricity prices are lower, water is pumped from Castaic Lake to Pyramid Lake. The income from the electricity sold offsets a portion of the cost for pumping the water in some parts of the aqueduct, such as over the Tehachapi Mountains.
