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

Bishop Creek
Big Pine
Cottonwood
Haiwee
Transmission Lines
San Bernardino

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

See USE NOTICE on Home Page.

Moonshiners cabin at the power works' upper camp - Bishop, CA - June, 1905
Painting by Eva Scott Fenyes
(Image courtesy of Hal Eaton)

Hal Eaton writes:

Eva Scott Fenyes (1849-1930)was a wealthy socialite and also watercolorist who Lummis encouraged to document the many old buildings and adobes in California which she donated to the Southwest Museum. Her second husband, Dr. Adalbert Fenyes was a physican and entomologist specializing in beetles. The Fenyes mansion in Pasadena in now a museum.
In June of 1905 the couple visited Inyo so that Adalbert could collect beetles--we all know how Inyo is a good place to find beetles, sometimes too many. Eva went up to the Bishop creek hydroelectric works and did picture of a moonshiners Cabin which appears to be made of stone.

Bishop Creek Powerhouse No. 1
The Powerhouse that Never was Built

Equalizing Reservoir showing proposed location of Plant No. 1

Equalizing Reservoir - proposed Plant 1

Equalizing Reservoir - proposed Plant 1

South Lake Dam construction - September 1910

South Lake Dam construction - September 1910

South Lake Dam construction - September 1910

South Lake Dam construction, putting in a new valve - September 1910

South Lake Dam Intake 5

South Lake Dam construction - September 1910

Bishop Creek Powerhouse No. 2
Lake Sabrina

Bishop Creek Plant #2
Water from Hillside and No 1 Reservoirs flows down the natural stream bed to
Intake No.2, a balancing reservoir for operation of the Bishop Creek Plants.
From Intake No. 2, the water is supplied to Bishop Creek Plant #2 through 10,035' of Redwood stave pipe and 2,646' of 48" steel pressure pipe.
Five power plants harnessed in tandem, utilize consecutively the waters of Bishop Creek through connecting pipe lines and generate an aggregate of 43,520 horsepower, developed under a combined head of 3,555'. The water is then returned, undiminished, to the stream bed at the mouth of the canyon for irrigation.

Bishop Creek Plant #2 - Transformer House

Bishop Creek Plant #2 - Powerhouse

Bishop Creek Plant #2 - Powerhouse

Interior Powerhouse #1 (Plant 2)

Bishop Creek Plant #2 interior

Interior Powerhouse #1 (Plant 2)

Interior Powerhouse #1 (Plant 2)

Interior Plant #2 showing two of the 2000 K.W. Generators

Interior Plant #2

South Lake Caretakers quarters

Bishop Creek Plant #2 from the Terrace

General View Bishop Creek Plant #2

Interiorview of the transformer house at Plant 2.
Showing part of the 7,000 K.W. step-up transformers.

Bishop Creek Plant #2

On the road to the Bishop Creek Plants

Bishop Creek Plant #2

Bishop Creek Mess Hall and Bunk House

Bishop Creek Intake for Plant 3

Bishop Creek Plant #2 and Intake for Plant 3

Lake Sabrina Dam

Lake Sabrina

Hauling cement

Cooks camp near Lake Sabrina

Lake Sabrina Dam construction

Lake Sabrina Dam construction

Lake Sabrina Dam construction

Cottages at Bishop Creek Plant #2

Lake Sabrina Dam
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Lake Sabrina Dam
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Lake Sabrina Dam
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Lake Sabrina Dam
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Lake Sabrina Dam
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Lake Sabrina Dam construction

Hillside Water Company - Lake Sabrina Reservoir/Dam - 1910

Hillside Water Company - Lake Sabrina Reservoir/Dam - 1910

Hillside Water Company - Lake Sabrina Reservoir/Dam - 1910

Hillside Water Company - Lake Sabrina Reservoir/Dam - 1910

Driving up to the Bishop Creek plants

Dam construction at Bishop Creek Plant 2

The road to Bishop - U.S. 395

Constructing the Redwood Stave Pipe to Bishop Plant 2

Constructing the Redwood Stave Pipe to Bishop Plant 2

Completed Redwood Stave Pipe to Bishop Plant 2

Lake Sabrina Dam construction

Lake Sabrina Dam construction - 1907

Lake Sabrina Dam construction - 1907

Regulating dam on the middle fork of Bishop Creek - 1906-07

Lake Sabrina Dam construction

Lake Sabrina Dam construction

Looking at the pressure pipe line at Powerhouse #1

Looking down the company's street at Powerhouse #1

Snow-Cat in operation at South Lake

Snow-Cat Loaded for transportation to the snow area.

Snow-Cat in normal operation.

Snow-Cat Plowing a drift of snow fluffy snow.

Negoating a 45 degree incline and proceeding 100 feet on a 45 degree slope - Road to Reservoir #1. Going to make emergency repairs after a tree fell on to a line cutting off power and communications.

Taking an emergency "flamo" to South Lake when winter supply to keep the manometer tube from freezing was found to have leaked away.

Making up load at Plant 2 for Weather Tower Installation at South Lake.
Approximately 1 ton load. Installation was made in one day.

Leonard Baxter's car on U.S. 395 just north of the McGee Creek
Maintenance Station - January, 1952

Bishop Creek Powerhouse No. 3

Bishop Creek Plant #3
From the forebay at the tail-race of Plant #2, water is supplied to Plant #3
through 13,029' of Redwood stave pipe and 4,361' of steel pressure
line. The pipe lines vary in diameter from 5' to 4' at the powerhouse.

This picture shows operators' cottages at the left and at the lower
right the forebay and intake for Plant #4.

Bishop Creek Plant #3

Bishop Creek Plant #3 under construction

Bishop Creek Plant #3 under construction

Powerhouse Bishop Creek Plant #3

Powerhouse Bishop Creek Plant #3

Powerhouse Bishop Creek Plant #3 - October 1913

Worker beside steel pipe for Bishop Creek Plant #3

Interior Bishop Creek Plant #3 Powerhouse

Interior Bishop Creek Plant #3 Powerhouse

Interior of Bishop Creek Plant #3 showing three - 2250 K.W. Generators

Interior of Bishop Creek Plant #3
The generating equipment consists of three 4,000 horsepower, 300 RPM, impulse water wheels direct-connected to three 2,800 Kv-a, 300 RPM, 2,200 volt alternating current generators.The switchboard equipment consists of five panels complete with oil circuit breaker, instruments, rheostats, etc. The control panel for the local light and power circuits is of the safety panel type so that no live parts are accessible from the front of the panel. The panel in the right foreground of the photograph is the control panel for the motor-generator exciter set.

Interior of Bishop Creek Plant #3

Switchboard at Plant #3

G.E. flowmeter attached to #3 machine - Bishop Creek Plant #3

View of the steel transmission line from Plant 3 to the Control Station on Bishop Creek.

Bishop Creek Plant #3

Intake for Plant 4

Intake for Plant 4

Bishop Creek Plant Intake for Plant 4

Plant 3 Powerhouse
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Bishop Creek Plant #3 outdoor transformer sub-station
Showing three - 2000 K.W. step-up transformers

 

Bishop Creek Plant #3 Intake

Aerial view Plant 3 Powerhouse complex
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Dwelling Bishop Creek Plant #3

Bachelor's Quarters - Bishop Creek Plant #3

Bishop Creek Powerhouse No. 4

Bishop Creek Plant #4 interior
The generating equipment at Plant #4 consists of five water wheel-driven alternating current generators having a combined capacity of 12,000 horsepower in water wheels and 6,750 Kv-a, in generators.
Units 1 and 2 consist of 1,700 horsepower impulse water wheels direct-connected to 750 Kv-1, alternating current generators. Unit 3 consists of a 3,000 horsepower impulse water wheel direct-connected to a 1,750 Kv-a, alternating current generator. Units 4 and 5 consist of a 2,850 horsepower impulse water wheels direct-connected to 1,750 Kv-a, alternating current generators. Each unit is provided with an oil pressure governor equipped for remote control quick shutdown, the water being thrown off the water wheel by means of stream benders, deflectors, or auxiliary nozzles. The auxiliary equipment includes three water wheel-driven direct current exciters, two of which are also privided with induction motors. The switchboard installation consists of a ten panel switchboard complete with generator bus, oil circuit breakers, rheostats and instruments.

Bishop Creek Plant #4 interior

Bishop Creek Plant 4 interior

Bishop Creek Plant 4 interior

Switchboard Bishop Creek Plant #4

Bishop Creek Plant #4 interior

Bishop Creek Plant #4 interior

Bishop Creek Plant #4 interior

Bishop Creek Plant 4 interior

Bishop Creek Plant #4 interior

Bishop Creek Plant #4 interior

Rotating field 750 K.W., 450 RPM R. D. Type

Rotating field 750 K.W., 450 RPM R. D. Type - Partially Wound showing nickel steel keys

General view Bishop Creek Plant #4 and #5 Intake Dam

Bishop Creek Plant #4

Bishop Creek Plant #4 grounds

General view Bishop Creek Plant #4 and #5 Intake Dam

Bishop Creek Plant #4 under construction

Bishop Creek Plant #4 under construction

Bishop Creek Plant #4 under construction

Wood Stave-Flow pipe construction for Bishop Creek Plant #4 - 1904

Powerhouse - Bishop Creek Plant #4

Bishop Creek Plant #4 grounds

Steel stave flow line

Stand pipe erection

Stand pipe erection

Joining wood stave pipe to steel stave pipe at stand pipe erection

Steel pipe junction

Joining wood stave pipe to steel stave pipe at stand pipe erection

Bishop Creek Plant #4 in the winter

General view in the winter of Bishop Creek Plant #4 and #5 Intake Dam

Bishop Creek Plant #4

Bishop Creek Plant #4

Bishop Creek Plant #4

Bishop Creek Plant #4

Bishop Creek Plant #4 canyon area

Bishop Creek Plant #4 construction

Bishop Creek Plant #4 area

Colins & Young teamsters hauling armature to Bishop Creek Plant #4

1500 K.W. Allis-Chalmers Armature for Bishop Creek Plant #4

Colins & Young teamsters hauling armature from Laws SPNG RR depot to Bishop Creek Plant #4

Colins & Young teamsters hauling armature from Laws SPNG RR depot to Bishop Creek Plant #4 - 1905

Colins & Young teamsters hauling armature to Bishop Creek Plant #4

Bishop Creek Plant #4 - Miss May Grandquist
"Queen" Inyo County Festival and Plant 4 resident

Bishop Creek Plant #4 Clubhouse

Bishop Creek Plant #4 Clubhouse

Bishop Creek Plant #4 grounds and clubhouse (upper left)

Bishop Creek Plant #4 Operator's Quarters
Married employees are provided with comfortable cottages as at the other plants. A combined boarding house and clubhouse is maintained for single employees, visiting officials and guests.

Switch house and lightning arrester at Plant #4

Plant 4 residential complex
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Plant 4 residential complex
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Winter view from Bishop Creek Plant #4 towards Owens Valley from the clubhouse.

View from Bishop Creek Plant #4 towards Owens Valley

Operator's cottage at Bishop Creek Plant #4

Cottage at Bishop Creek Plant #4

Frame School at Bishop Creek Plant #4

Machine and Blacksmith shop at Bishop Creek Plant #4

Oil Shed at Bishop Creek Plant #4

Office and Warehouse at Bishop Creek Plant #4

Replacing a standing pipe at Plant 4

Replacing a standing pipe at Plant 4

Replacing a standing pipe at Plant 4

Replacing a standing pipe at Plant 4

Replacing a standing pipe at Plant 4

Replacing a standing pipe at Plant 4

Dredging supervisors L/R: Mike Zuvella and Billy Young

A "Snow Catcher"

Dredging Intake #4

Dredging Intake #4

Bishop Creek Powerhouse No. 5

Bishop Creek Plant #5
Water from the forebay at Plant #4 is delivered to Plant #5 through 3,470' of wood stave pipeline and 2 steel pressure pipe lines, one 4,840' in length and the other 4,878' in length. The pipes vary in diameter from 5' to 3.5' at the power house.
The generating equipment consists of one horizontal impulse water wheel and one single discharge horizontal turbine with a combined capacity of 5,700 horsepower direct-connected to two alternating current generators with combined capacity of 3,545 Kv-a.

Hauling a piece of equipment to Bishop Creek Plant #5

General view Bishop Creek Plant #5

Interior Bishop Creek Plant #5 showing Exciter and Water Wheels for
1500 K.W. Generator

Interior Bishop Creek Plant #5

Interior Bishop Creek Plant #5

Plant 5 Powerhouse looking up the northeast tailrace
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

East end of Plant 5 and east tailrace
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Intake Dam for Plant 6

Plant 5 Powerhouse

Plant 5 Powerhouse

Bishop Creek Plant 5 Substation

Bishop Creek Plant #5

Interior Plant #5

Bishop Creek Powerhouse No. 6

Bishop Creek Plant #6
Water from the forebay at Plant #5 is supplied to Plant #6 through 3,000' of wood stave pipe and 4,360 feet of steel pressure pipeline. The wood stave pipe is 5' in diameter and the steel pipe is 4.5' in diameter. The generating equipment consists of a double runner impulse water wheel with a capacity of 2,850 horsepower direct-connected to an alternating current generator with a capacity of 2,220 Kv-a.
The substation located at Plant #6 includes high voltage switching equipment in addition to the bank of 750 Kv-a transformers. The distribution substation supplying the towns of Bishop and Big Pine is also located at Bishop Creek Plant #6.

East side Plant 6 Powerhouse and Tailrace
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Bishop Creek Plant #6

60" wood stave pipe for Bishop Creek Plant #6

Bishop Creek Plant #6 outdoor transformers.

54" steel pipe leading to Bishop Creek Plant #6

Bishop Creek Plant #6 substation

Bishop Creek Plant #6 substation

General view of the Bishop Creek Plant #6 powerhouse and outdoor transformers.

General view of the Bishop Creek Plant #6 powerhouse and outdoor transformers.

General view of the Bishop Creek Plant #6 powerhouse and outdoor transformers.

Bishop Creek Plant #6 interior

Interior Bishop Creek Plant #6 showing governing devices and partial view of water wheels and generator.

Interior Bishop Creek Plant #6
2000 K-va generator, showing safety guard about the rotor

Intake Bishop Creek Plant #6

Intake Bishop Creek Plant #6

Fobes 40 Ranch - Transformer at location ready for hanging - March 1952

Pulling a transformer on a toboggan to Fobes 40 Long Valley Ranch - March 1952
L/R: Cliff Jones, Howard Lambert, Rodney Montrose, Ed Johnson, Ray Humphrey

Situated on Bishop Creek near Plant #6, here practically all of the power generated at the hydro-electric plants on Bishop Creek, Rush Creek, Leevining Creek and in Owens River Gorge, is pooled for distribution to Nevada, Southern California, and for resale in Arizona and Lower California.
From this station two outgoing 55,000 volt transmissioin lines supply the Nevada District; and the 238 mile double circuit, three phase, 130,000 volt steel tower transmission line extended to the main sutsbation of the Southern Sierras Power Company at San Bernardino.
The Control Station is the headquarters of the Superintendent of Transmission.

This transmission line, connecting Control Station, Bishop Creek, with the San Bernardino Substation, is a 140,000 volt two-circuit steel tower line 238 miles in length.
The towers are 70' in height and are spaced eight to the mile, and vary in weight from 3,700 pounds for standard suspension towers to 11,400 pounds for Santa Fe Railroad crossing towers.

Snow storm at the Control Station near Bishop Creek Plant #6

Control Station office near Bishop Creek Plant #6

Wishbone transmission tower between Bishop Creek Plant #6 and the Control Station

Near view of outdoor transformers at Bishop Creek Plant #6

Manually erecting a transmission tower pole.

Control Station near Bishop Creek Plant #6

Bishop transmission line

Office and Switch Station

Control Station

Control Station garage and water tank

Control Station dwelling

Big Pine Creek Powerhouse
Big Pine Creek

Big Pine Powerhouse
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Big Pine Powerhouse and transformer
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Angle and Transposition transmission towers near Independence, CA - October 1913

Cottonwood Powerhouse
Cottonwood Creek

Installing side guys on tower near Lone Pine - 1952

Installing side guys on tower near Lone Pine - 1952

Cottonwood Power Plant looking east
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Overhaul of Pelton Wheel, Westinghouse Generator, 750KW, 2300 volts,
137 Amps, 600 RPM
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Cottonwood Generator Floor Looking West
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Cottonwood Power Plant looking east
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Cottonwood Power Plant Control Panel
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Cottonwood Creek Overhead Looking South
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Settling Pond, Intake and Raceway for Cottonwood Power Plant
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Cottonwood Power Plant South Wall - Looking West
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Haiwee Powerhouse
Los Angeles Aqueduct - Haiwee Reservoir

Haiwee Power Plant Transmission Lines
(Photo courtesy Digital Public Library)

Haiwee Power Plant
Step up transformers in Foreground, Surge Tank at To of Ridge
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Haiwee Power House
Bypass Channel in the Foreground, Looking Northwest
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Generator Floor Looking Northwest, GE AC Generator 306/368 AMP
375 RPM, 60/50 Cycles, 2300KW
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Disconnect alley, Referring to the switches on the left.
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Governor and speed control mechanisms tank
At left an accumulator ttank which stores air pressure
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Slate mounted control board
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Control room on the control floor
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Haiwee Power Plant floor looking east
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Backside of the circuit control board to the disconnect alley
Exciter unit, rheostats form big circular units
(Photo and text courtest Library of Congress)

Transmission Lines

Wood transmission poles in the Mojave Desert "Pole Yard"

Wood transmission poles in the Mojave Desert "Pole Yard"

Wood transmission poles in the Mojave Desert "Pole Yard"

Wood transmission poles in the Mojave Desert "Pole Yard"

Wood transmission poles in the Mojave Desert "Pole Yard"

Wood transmission poles in the Mojave Desert "Pole Yard"

When the truck breaks down - revert to mule power

Crew quarters on the desert - stuck in the sand after a flash flood

Hauling transmission poles in the desert

Coils of transmission wire

Erecting wood transmission towers in Owens Valley

Silver Lake power lines in Owens Valley

Erecting wood transmission towers in Owens Valley

Casa Diablo Substation near Mammoth

Erecting wood transmission towers in the Mojave Desert

Steel transmission towers in the Mojave Desert

Erecting steel transmission towers in the Rose Valley

Erecting steel transmission towers in the Rose Valley

Erecting steel transmission towers in the Rose Valley

Erecting steel transmission towers in the Rose Valley

Inspecting the transmission towers on the Mojave Desert

Making an extension to one of the steel transmission towers
Note the block and tackle method of raising the extension.

General view of tower in a windstorm showing strain on the insulators.

Lone Pine Sub-Station

San Bernardino Power Distribution Center

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 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, shown on the right; 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.

Main switching yard as seen from the steam plant in San Bernardino

Southern Sierras Power Company headquarters in San Bernardino