New Spicer Meadow Reservoir

New Spicer Meadow Reservoir
Location Sierra Nevada, Tuolumne County, California, US
Coordinates 38°23′36″N 119°59′49″W / 38.39333°N 119.99694°WCoordinates: 38°23′36″N 119°59′49″W / 38.39333°N 119.99694°W
Type reservoir
Primary inflows Highland Creek
Primary outflows Highland Creek
Basin countries United States
Water volume 189,000 acre feet (233,000,000 m3)
Surface elevation 6,621 ft (2,018 m)

New Spicer Meadow Reservoir is a reservoir in Stanislaus National Forest in the Sierra Nevada, in Tuolumne County, near the Alpine County line, at an elevation of 6,621 feet (2,018 m). The 189,000 acre foot (233,000,000 m3) reservoir is formed by New Spicer Meadow Dam on Highland Creek, a tributary of the Stanislaus River. The 265-foot (81 m) tall dam is composed of rock-fill and was completed in 1989. Additional water is diverted from the North Fork of the Stanislaus River by the North Fork Diversion Dam and a two-mile (3 km) tunnel. Downstream from the dam, the water continues flowing in Highland Creek until it meets the North Fork of the Stanislaus River.

Calaveras County Water District owns the dam. Water from the reservoir supplies drinking water and water for recreation and irrigation. Also, along with the Northern California Power Agency, the water district sells electricity from the 5.5-MW hydroelectric plant at the base of the dam. They also operate the 253-MW Collierville Powerhouse on the North Fork of the Stanislaus River.

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