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logo
Eastern Sierra Nevada
Power Plant Construction
California Electric Power Corporation
Nevada Power, Milling, & Mining Co.
Southern Sierras Power Company

Jordan
Lundy
Poole

substation
Main Substation of the Southern Sierras Power Company - San Bernardino, CA

This is the southern terminus of the 238 mile steel tower transmission line from the Control Station on Bishop Creek. Here current is received from four sources for distribution - from the eleven hydro plants in the North; from the San Bernardino steam-electric generating plant, from the interconnections with the Southern California Edison Company's system, and from the San Diego Consolidated Gas and Electric Company through the Rincon interconnection.

Power is distributed here to all points on the System in Southern California and for resale in Arizona and Lower California.
This station was completed in 1927

All photos and text are from The Huntington Library Digital Collection unless otherwise noted

See USE NOTICE on Home Page.



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power grid map
Nevada-California Electric Corporation Power Development Map

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Power House Locations
power house locations

Bishop Creek - Power House No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6


jordan
Jordan Powerhouse
(Map courtesy of U.S. Energy Information Administration)

lundy and poole

Lundy (Mill Creek) and Poole Powerhouses
(Map courtesy of U.S. Energy Information Administration)

rush creek

Rush Creek Powerhouse
(Map courtesy of U.S. Energy Information Administration)

bishop creek

Bishop Creek - Powerhouse No. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
and Big Pine Creek
(Map courtesy of U.S. Energy Information Administration)


owens river
Owens River Gorge Powerhouses and Pleasant Valley
(Map courtesy of U.S. Energy Information Administration)

cottonwood ph
Cottonwood Powerhouse
(Map courtesy of U.S. Energy Information Administration)

haiwee ph
Haiwee Powerhouse
(Map courtesy of U.S. Energy Information Administration)

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Hydroelectric Power Developments in Southern California
by Robert Charles Catren

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danger
(Photo courtesy of Rick Olson)

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Jordan Powerhouse
Mill Creek

jordan PH
View of the Jordan Power House Plant and the areas it supplied power to.



agnesJordan Power House Disaster

by Cecil Page Vargo

Jack Wagon writes:

A relative on mine, Paul Greenleaf, a junior operator at Jordan, was out reading meters and missed the avalanche that destroyed this site. He was up at the Lucky Boy mine at the time. He stated in an interview that it has snowed continuously from Feb. 20 until Mar. 8 (1911). Then at midnight on the 9th he reported the power went out to areas supplied by Jordan. He started snowshoeing from Bodie the next day at 4 a.m. but the storm was too great and he got lost and returned to Bodie. He garnered the help of a champion Swedish cross country skier to re-attempt to make it to Jordan. They finally made to the site that day but were unable to affect rescues. Local ranchers began digging on the 11th. Attempts were made to rescue survivors and it is reported that the snow was between 14 and 20 feet deep on the site. Only Mrs. Mason and her dog survived. She was taken to Conway Ranch, then on to San Francisco for recovery. Information from a book titled "Iron Men and Copper Wire," a Centennial History of So Cal Edison.

December 2021


Avalanche on Copper Mountain (Jordan PH)
by Roger Mitchell

The Jordan Tragedy
by Barbara Moore

Avalanche at Jordan
Adapted from the Mineral County Independent News by Lily Mathieu LaBraque in her book Man From Mono

jordan
Jordan Powerhouse survey team after the avalanche heading out to the plant site.

jordan
All that remains of the Jordan Powerhouse complex after the avalanche

new 03/23
young
Remains of the Jordan Powerhouse disaster
(Photo courtesy of P Edmonds Young)

jordan
Jordan Powerhouse after avalanche

jordan
Jordan Powerhouse after avalanche

jordan
Digging out the remains of the Jordan Powerhouse after the avalanche

jordan
Jordan Powerhouse after avalanche

jordan
Jordan Powerhouse after avalanche

jordan

Jordan Powerhouse after avalanche

bodie
Bodie - 1912 - being supplied electricity by the Jordan Powerhouse

powerhouse
Looking down the steel pipe towards the powerhouse - halfway up the hill
near Copper Mountain

mill creek
Arrival of the rotor a the powerhouse in 1910.

mill creek
Powerhouse grounds - Jordan (Mill Creek) Plant

mill creek
No. 1 Unit - Jordan (Mill Creek) Plant 1

mill creek
Rear view of the powerhouse

mill creek
Jordan (Mill Creek) Powerhouse - 1910

mill creek
Jordan (Mill Creek) Powerhouse - 1910

sfter snow storm
Wood pipe after a snow storm - looking up Mill Creek Canyon

steel pipe
Steel pipe line - Mill Creek Plant

steel pipe
Entering a section of 30" steel pipe

mill creek
Wood pipe in deep cut - lower end Mill Creek Plant

wood gate
Powe36" wood gate on wood pipe

wood pipe
Laying 48" wood pipe on forest reserve

yard
Yarding out the pipe

donkey
The donkey pulling itself up the hill.
This was used to pull steel pipe up the hill.
mill creek
Tee and three sections of stand pipe

mill creek
Head ends

mill creek
Engine (donkey) used to pull steel pipe up the hill.



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Lundy Powerhouse
Mill Creek

lundy powerhouse
Lundy (Mill Creek) Plant
Water from Lundy Lake Reservoir is supplied to the plant through
11,840' of wood stave pipeline and 3,105' of steel pressure line of from
36" to 48" in diameter.
The generating equipment consists of two horizontal impulse water wheels,
direct-connected to two alternating current generators having a
combined capacity of 3,300 Kv-a.
Power from the Mill Creek Plant is transmitted to Leevining Creek Plant #3,
where connection is made to the balance of the System. This plant also
supplies power to the Mineral County power system of Nevada.


lundy lake powerhouse
Lundy Lake Powerhouse


mill creek
Mill Creek garage and lightning arrestor

mill creek
Mill Creek Powerhouse

Interior lundy plant

Interior of the Lundy powerhouse showing the automatic governor and
the gate valves.


lundy lake ph interior
Lundy Lake Powerhouse interior showing two 1500 KW generators

operators cottages
Operators's cottages - Lundy Plant

valve

Valve in the Lundy Powerhouse

switching station
Outdoor switching station at the Lundy Plant - Terminus of Bishop-Lundy Line

control station

Control Station
Bowie Switch controlling the Lundy-Bishop line in the foreground.

control station
Control Station

control station
Control Station

lundy dam
Lundy Lake Dam construction - showing the concrete core wall
and the rock fill on the lower side.


core wall
Excavating the core wall at Lundy Lake Dam

lunday dam

Forms for the core wall on the Lundy Lake Dam

lundy dam
Lundy Spillway Gate


lundy dam
Lundy Lake Dam showing part of the downstream side of the core wall and back fill.

lundy dam
Lundy Lake Dam showing part of the upstream side of the core wall and back fill.

lundy dam
Lundy Dam construction

lundy dam
Lundy Dam construction

lundy dam
Lundy Dam construction

lundy dam
Lundy Dam construction

lundy dam
Spillway Pipe - Lundy Dam

lundy lake

Lundy Lake looking towards the dam

wood stave floww line

Wood stave flow line to the Lundy plant

covered wood stave flow line
Covered wood stave flow line to the Lundy plant

wood stave
Terminus of the wood stave pipe and the head of the steel pressure pipe, showing
the pipe laid in the ground on an angle.

wood stave
Steel pressure pipe leading to the Lundy Powerhouse before covering.

pipe line to lundy
Steel pipeline being laid towards the Lundy Powerhouse

leevining camp
Leevining Creek Camp

Leevining camp
Leevining Creek Camp

leevining camp
Leevining Creek Camp

tractor shed

Benton Station tractor shed.

benton warehouse


Warehouse in Benton along the SPNG where supplies were stored.

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Poole Powerhouse
Leevining Creek, Tioga Lake, Rhinedollar Lake, Saddlebags Lake

poole power house
Poole Powerhouse
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

poole
Poole Poorhouse in the winter

poole plant
Poole Powerhouse

poole

Poole Powerhouse - Leevining Creek
Water from Saddlebags, Tioga and Rhinedollar Reservoirs reach the Plant from Rhinedollar Lake Intake through 2,453' of steel flowline, 1,856' of which is laid through a tunnel and 3,740' of steel pressure line equipped with air relief valves and concrete cushions.

poole plant interior

Poole Plant interior
The generating equipment consists of one 14,000 horsepower, 360 RPM, impulse water wheel, direct-connected to one 12,500 Kv-a., 360 RPM, 6,600 volt alternating current generator, with exciter mounted on the same shaft.
The operating room, including storage battery room and storeroom, is
separated from the main power house floor by a partition.



interior
Poole Plant interior


poole plant

Poole Plant interior
The direct-connected water wheel, and 12,500 Kv-a, 6,600 volt alternating generator.


poole transformers
Transformers at Powerhouse No. 1 - Poole


poole powerhouse and cottage

Poole cottage (L) and Powerhouse (R)

leevining

Poole Plant cottage

tioga reservoir

Tioga Reservoir - July 1927
Situated at an elevation of 9,643', this reservoir has a storage capacity of 661 acre feet and production value of 835,000 kilowatt-hours.
The Natural lake was raised by a 5' earth-filled, timber-faced dam and a 9' cut made for drainage.

poole plant 3
Leevining Creek powerhouse #3 grounds


poole powerhouse 3 warehouse
Leevining Creek powerhouse #3 warehouse and headquarters

poole ph3 cottage
Leevining Creek powerhouse #3 cottage

poole powerhouse 3
Leevining Creek powerhouse #3

pool ph3

Leevining Creek powerhouse #3

rhinedollar camp

Rhinedollar construction camp

plant

Leevining Creek - Plant #3
Water from Leevining Creek No. 3 intake below the Poole Plant is supplied to the Plant #3 through 3,362' of Redwood stave pipe and 1,961' of steel pressure line of from 42" to 48" in diameter.
The generating equipment consists of one single runner, double discharge horizontal turbine of 3,500 horsepower direct-connected to a 2,500 Kv-a alternating current generator.
Power generated at Leevining Creek Plant #3 is delivered to the transmission line from the Poole Plant to the Rush Creek Plant which is looped into the Leevining Creek #3 substation to facilitate switching and operation.


tioga dam construction
Tioga Dam construction - 1928

tioga dam
Tioga Dam construction - 1928

saddlebags reservoir
Saddlebags Reservoir - July 1927
This reservoir has a capacity of 11,138 acre feet, and is the main storage reservoir of the Leevining Creek Hydro-Electric Development
of the Nevada-California Power Company.
The water impounded here has a production value of 14,073,000 kilowatt-hours when released and used through
the Poole Plant and Leevining Creek Plant #3.
rhinedollar lake
Road to Rhinedollar Lake (L)

rhinedollar reservoir
Rhinedollar Reservoir - 1927
Situated below Saddlebags and Tioga Reservoirs, Rhinedollar Lake Reservoir has a storage capacity of 745 acre feet and a production value of
942,000 kilowatt-hours.
Located at the brink of Leevining Creek Falls, Rhinedollar is the intake reservoir for the Poole Power Plant and Leevining Creek Power Plant #3.

leevining creek

Leevining Creek / Canyon below the Poole Plant

road to poole
Road to the Poole Powerhouse

saddlebag dam

Saddlebags Dam - Leevining Creek
This is a rock-filled, timber-faced structure with a concrete up-stream cut-off wall. It was completed in 1925

rainbow camp
Rainbow Camp - Mono Lake

rainbow camp
Rainbow Camp - Mono Lake off in the distance

rainbow camp
Tractor and transformer hauling sled at Rainbow Camp

poole
Poole Powerhouse in the winter of 1924

loading pipe at Benton

Loading up pipe at Benton for the Poole powerhouse.

workers
Workers at Mono Lake - 1923

the webbs
Mr. & Mrs Webb near Mono Lake - 1923

winter road
Navigating the road to Poole in the winter.

mono lake
Workers on the Mono Lake road to Poole - 1924

saddlebags
Saddlebags camp - repair shop and compressor shed

saddlebags camp
Saddlebags camp - storage shed

laying pipe
Laying steel pipe for the Poole Powerhouse

under construction
Poole Power Plant under construction

under construction
Poole Power Plant under construction

under construction
Poole Power Plant under construction

pipe
Steel pipe for the Poole Power Plant

under construction
Poole Power Plant under construction

under construction
Laying steel pipe for the Poole Power Plant

pipeLaying steel pipe for the Poole Power Plant

poole
Poole Power Plant under construction

poole
Poole Power Plant under construction

transformers
Poole Power Plant transformers

transformers
Hauling cement and a transformer for the Poole Power Plant

road to benton
The road to Benton, CA - Benton is one mile off in the distance

road to benton
The road to Benton, CA

road to benton
The road to Benton, CA

road to benton
The road to Benton, CA

road to benton
The road to Benton, CA - to the Poole and Rush Creek Power Plants

road to benton
The road to Benton, CA

road to benton
The road to Benton, CA

road to benton
The road to Benton, CA

road to benton
Hauling freight from Benton, CA to the Poole and Rush Creek Powerhouses

benton
Benton, CA - 1922-25

benton
Benton, CA

benton ca
Benton, CA - 1922-25

break

Workers taking a break during construction of the Poole Power Plant

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Historic Overview of the Rush Creek and Lee Vining Creek
Hydroelectric Projects

by Valarie H. Diamond and Robert A. Hicks

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A Thousand Acres of Nothing - 'Aim Morhardt and Lee Early  
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This page was last updated 01 May 2024