Description

The project is located on Piru Creek, a tributary of the Santa Clara River, in Ventura County, California.

The license for Santa Felicia project first expired on April 30, 2004. Since then, United Water Conservation District (the licensee) has operated the project under an annual license.The project consists of a 200-foot-high and 1,260-foot-long earth-filled dam. The project has no primary transmission line.  Power generated at the site is conveyed by transmission lines owned and operated by the Southern California Edison Company.

The headwaters of Piru Creek are in Lockwood Valley, an upland basin in the
southern section of the Los Padres National Forest about 5,200 feet above sea level. Piru Creek has a drainage area of 437 square miles and flows into Pyramid Lake, formed by Pyramid Dam9 approximately 15 river miles (RM) upstream of the Santa Felicia Project.Upon exiting Pyramid Lake, Piru Creek flows to Piru Lake, where it is impounded by the Santa Felicia dam. Lower Piru Creek, downstream of the Santa Felicia dam, continues for another six miles to its confluence with the Santa Clara River approximately 30 river miles from the Pacific Ocean.

The project occupies 174.5 acres of land within the Los Padres and Angeles
National Forests, of which about 121 acres are inundated by Lake Piru.

Issues

Threatened/endangered: Endangered southern California steelhead and threatened Santa Ana Sucker. Southwestern Arroyo Toad, California Red Legged Frog

Other values: Studies are currently being conducted to examine project impacts to instream flows (base flows, steelhead migration flows and whitewater recreation flows), and water quality. Completion of studies is scheduled for Spring 2005.

Map

Milestones