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

Rush Creek
Owens Gorge

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

See USE NOTICE on Home Page.

Rush Creek Powerhouse
Silver Lake, Agnew Lake, Gem Lake, Grant Lake

Water from Rush Meadows, Gem and Agnew Reservoirs is supplied through 4,296' of steel pipe line from Gem Lake to Agnew Junction, from which point two steel pressurelines, 4,261' and 4,280', respectively, deliver water to the powerhouse.
The generating equipment consists of two horizontal impulse water wheels with
combined capacity of 16,000 horsepower connected to two alternating current
generators with a combined capacity of 11,250 Kv-a.

Power generated at the Rush Creek Plant is transmitted to a Control Station 54 miles.

Rush Creek Power Plant

Rush Creek Power Plant

Silver Lake transformers

Generator after burn-up

Generator after burn-up

Generator after burn-up

Top to Bottom: Rush Meadows Lake, Gem Lake, Agnew Lake

Rush Creek Powerhouse complex near Silver Lake

Rush Meadows Dam - Rush Creek
This is a single arch type reinforced concrete structure with a straight overflow gravity section and reinforced concrete abutment at junction of arch and spillway. The dam was completed in 1925.

Gem Lake Dam

Rush Meadows Dam - Rush Creek

Rush Meadows Dam - Rush Creek

Agnew Dam and Reservoir - July 1927
The dam consists of 4 arches of 40' span each and 2 of smaller span supported by heavy concrete abutments.
This dam has a production value of 697,000 kilowatt-hours when released and used through the Rush Creek Power Plant.
Tram 2 to Gem Lake and the Gem Dam can be seen in the upper right.

Gem Lake Reservoir - Rush Creek
This is the main storage reservoir for the Rush Creek Power Plant.
It has a storage capacity of 18,424 acre feet and a production value of 18,424,000
kilowatt-hours.

Gem Lake Dam
Water spilled from this dam is impounded by Agnew Dam.

Grant Lake Dam
This is a timber-faced, rock-filled structure impounding water
for use on the Cain Ranch

Grant Lake Reservoir
Situated below the Rush Creek Hydro-Electric Plant, this reservoir has a present capacity of 10,111 acre feet. The water impounded here is used for irrigation of the Cain Ranch.

Grant Lake Camp

Company cars at Grant Lake Camp

Grant Lake Camp

Grant Lake Dam construction

Grant Lake Dam construction

Grant Lake Dam construction

Grant Lake Dam construction

Transporting rock to the Grant Lake Dam

Loading rock to the Grant Lake Dam

Using hoist to load rock for the Grant Lake Dam construction

Loading rock to the Grant Lake Dam

Unloading rock at the Grant Lake Dam

Grant Lake Dam under construction

Grant Lake Dam under construction

Hauling steel pipe to the Rush Creek Powerhouse in the winter

Typical angle sheave on Tram 1

Clearing the tracks on Tram 1 after a severe snow storm

Tram 1 showing the styles of angle sheaves, spools and rollers
and the rope threaded on them

Tram 1 showing the styles of angle sheaves, spools and rollers
and the rope threaded on them

Tram car loaded with cement

Tramway #1 coming from the Silver Lake area

Tram 2 - 1715 lineal feet of inclined trestle from Agnew Lake to Gem Lake

Tram 2 running from Agnew Lake to Gem Lake

Lumber being transported up Tramway #2. The lumber was chained down to the body of the car and the chain was pulled tight by the use of a ratchet jack.

The top of the Agnew Lake tram

Station #14 on the tram

The tram at Aspen Flat

Gasoline driven double hoist used during construction of Tramway #2

Tramway #2 showing a rock car.
The all steel aggregate car being hauled up Tramway #2 weighed 3000 lbs and had a capacity of 4 cubic yards of rock. An average of four trips an hour were made under maximum operating conditions .

Hauling equipment from the SPNG station at Benton to Rush Creek PH

Hauling equipment from the SPNG station at Benton to Rush Creek PH

30" valve on its way from the SPNG depot in Benton to Rush Creek PH

Water wheel on its way from the SPNG depot in Benton to Rush Creek PH

Steel pipe storage yard at Benton for Rush Creek PH

Transformer being hauled to the Rush Creek powerhouse at Silver Lake

Rush Creek Powerhouse construction

Rush Creek Powerhouse construction - 11-11-15

A 7.5 ton 48" gate valve

Starting up the Rush Creek Tram with 3.5 tons of cement.

Grant Lake tent bunkhouse

Rounding a dangerous curve in the tram.

Greek rock crew waiting for dinner

Unloading pipe off of the tram

Stopping for a break on the way to Silver Lake

Heading to Silver Lake via snow shoes and sled

On the road to Silver Lake

Heading up to Silver Lake

Tractor hauling materials at Silver Lake

Winter traffic on the way to Silver Lake

Agnew Dam construction

Agnew Lake portage

Agnew Lake tram

Agnew Lake hoist

Concrete plant and trestle on Gem Lake dam construction

Gem Lake dam construction camp

Gem Lake Dam construction

Gem Lake Dam construction

Gem Lake Dam construction

Gem Lake Dam construction

Gem Lake dam construction

Gem Lake dam construction

cabelway car in the dumping position at the crushing plant

Gem Lake dam site

Cableway between the rock pit and the crushing plant

Cableway car

Crushing plant bunkers

Cableway car over lake

Rock crushing plant

Dwelling on the way to the Rush Creek Power Plant

Rush Creek Power Plant
Interior of powerhouse generator room showing generator units at
foreground right, governors and control valves
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
Powerhouse interior showing exciter No. 1. Small Pelton-Doble impulse
wheel in foreground
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
Powerhouse interior showing exciter No. 1. Hand-controlled gate valve shown on nozzle to Pelton-Doble impulse wheel
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
Powerhouse interior showing exciter No. 1 in foreground,
Exciter No. 2, and generator units behind
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
Powerhouse interior, detail of Exciter No. 2
General Electric generator showing copper commutator and carbon brushes
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
Powerhouse interior showing Exciter No. 2 small Pelton-Doble
impulse wheel, hand-controlled gate valve, and nozzle.
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
Powerhouse interior showing Exciter No. 2 with Exciter No. 1 behind
overhead crane dangles at top of photo
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
East side/North end Exterior of Rush Creek Powerhouse
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
East side exterior of powerhouse building showing tailrace
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Rush Creek Power Plant
Powerhouse interior, Exciter No. 2 showing General Electric induction motor in series between Pelton-Doble impulse wheel and General Electric generator
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Stereogram of Sierra Nevada storm approaching the Rush Creek area
(Photo and text courtesy Library of Congress)

Owens Gorge Powerhouses
Owens River

Adams Main Plant
This is a stream flow plant, to which water is supplied through 659' of Redwood flume and 3,214' of steel pressure pipe, varying in diameter from 7' to 6'. Power generated at the Adams Main Plant together with that received from the Adams Auxiliary Plant is transmitted to Control Station over a branch line connecting with the Northern Division Tie Line.
The outdoor substation located at the Adams Main Plant includes a steel bus structure,lightning arrester and high voltage switching equipment in addition to the bank of 3,500 Kv-a transformers.

Adams Plant interior
The hydraulic installation consists of one 7,500 horsepower, 400 RMP reaction turbine complete with oil pressure governor equipped with electric remote speed control, load limit attachment, electric solenoid automatic closing trip, governor actuated balanced piston type relief valve, flywheel, and miscellaneous equipment.
The electrical installation consists of one 6,250 Kv-a., 6,600 volt alternating current generator direct-connected to the turbine and with the exciter mounted on the same shaft as the generator. All of the 6,600 volt busses together with the various oil circuit breakers and disconnecting switches, potential and current transformers, as well as the local transformers for power and light are mounted on the mezzanine floor above the operating room.

Interior Owens River Plant

7.5' diameter pipeline at the Owens River Plants

Adams Auxiliary Plant

Owens River Adams Plant dwellings

Adams Main Plant Cottages - Owens River Gorge

Adams Auxiliary Plant
This is a stream flow plant, water being supplied from the Intake through 370' of flume, 455' of Redwood stave pipe and 664' of steel pressure pipe. The flume is 12' wide and 5' deep.
The wood stave pipe is 6' in diameter and the steel pipe is 5.5' in diameter.
The generating equipment installed in the powerhouse consists of a 3,750 horsepower reaction turbine direct-connected to a 3,000 Kv-a alternating current generator.
Power generated at this Plant is transmitted to the Adams Main Plant, located downstream and supplemented with the power generated at the Adams Main Plant is stepped up to transmission voltage through a bank of transformers located at the Adams Main Plant.

This building houses the main telephone exchange and operating headquarters of the Interstate Telegraph Company and the office of the Local Superintendent of The Southern Sierras Power Company.

Owens River Gorge dwelling

Owens River Gorge dwelling

Owens River Gorge - Adams Auxiliary - Dwellings and tent house

Owens River Gorge - Adams Auxiliary - Garage, Dwelling, Tent House

Owens River Main plant dwelling

General view Owens River Gorge

Intake cottage Owens River Gorge

7.5' diameter pipe for Owens River power plants

7.5' diameter pipe for Owens River power plants