Stage 9 ended up in the Round Mountain Rockhound Reservoir. The dam is 400 feet high and will top out at 5360 feet with a maximum water level at 5350 feet. This is the western high point in the Transcontinental aqueduct. Stage 10 and forward will deliver peak energy when possible. This stage can deliver peak energy only 5 hours a day, or deliver the day’s worth of peak energy whenever called for. To make this possible there will be a tunnel and pumping station capable of delivering up to 95,000 cfs when called for. The drop is maximum (5410 – 3690 – 13×2.2) = 1702 feet and minimum (5300 – 4000 -13×2.2) = 1272 feet with an average of 1500 feet, delivering 11.5 GW of pumped hydro-storage peak power for 5 hours a day.
The tunnel to the Cove Tank reservoir is 13 miles long and the power station is somewhere in the tunnel’s path. The pumps are not reversible. The Cove Tank Reservoir dam is 1 mile wide and 250 feet high, containing 60,000 acre-ft of water, enough for 7.5 hrs of filling it at 95,000 cfs, or maximum flow capacity of this stage.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 