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The Central Valley Project Table of Contents Pit River Division The Allen Camp Unit is located about 100 miles northeast of Redding, California, in the counties of Lassen and Modoc. The primary water supply for the unit is the Pit River, with a average flow of 181,000 acre feet (ac/ft) and a drainage area of about 1,431 square miles. Settlers first entered the Pit River region in the early 1870's, where they found the climate and native grasses suitable for raising cattle. By the turn of the century, several small dams had been constructed to provide diversion and water storage for irrigation and the livestock industry. The logging industry flourished in the area for a short time, but over- cutting led to a decline in the industry. The primary economic activity remains livestock raising with the bulk of farming activity devoted to forage crops. In the mid-1960's it became evident that greater efforts needed to be made to control the flows of the Pit River. In December 1964, heavy rains caused severe flooding, damaging roads, fences, and crops, and causing severe erosion. The heavy rains of December were followed by a two day blizzard in January , more rains, then a hard freeze. The rivers and streams became clogged with ice causing extensive flooding throughout the region, destroying the winter wheat crop. To add insult to injury, a severe drought hit the area in the following years, threatening the livestock industry. By 1966, agricultural production in the area had dropped by 50 percent. The Allen Camp Unit, Pit River Division was first authorized for study in 1966, with the costs of the study shared among the Bureau of Reclamation, Big Valley Irrigation District, and Lassen and Modoc Counties. The report was completed in early 1967, modified by a reevaluation report in June 1968, and adopted by the Secretary of Interior in September 1968. The Allen Camp Unit was authorized as an addition to the Central Valley Project by the Reclamation Authorizations Act of September 28, 1976. The authorization stated the unit was authorized to provide flood control, irrigation, fish and wild life enhancement, and recreation. The unit would supply irrigation water for 15,880 acres of land in Lassen and Modoc Counties, and supplemental water to a proposed 11,000 acre national wildlife refuge. The proposed primary features of the Allen Camp Unit were the Allen Camp Dam and Reservoir, the Hillside Canal, and the Pilot Canal. In addition to the primary features, there would be an extensive distribution system, several small pumping plants, and a system of closed drains to recover irrigation water. The Allen Camp Dam was designed as a 100 foot high, 1,700 foot long rolled earth and rock fill dam. The total capacity of the reservoir was to be 90,000 ac/ft with a surface area of 2,300 acres. The Hillside Canal was designed as a 25 mile long, concrete lined canal, with a capacity of 100 cubic feet per second (s/f). The canal would carry water from the Allen Camp Dam east to lands near the town of Bieber. The Pilot Canal was designed as a 3.5 mile long, unlined canal with a capacity of 15 s/f that would branch from the Hillside Canal and transport water to the Pilot Butte area. After several years of investigations and studies, the Concluding Report of 1981 determined that the construction of the features of the Allen Camp Unit was not economically feasible, and the project was canceled. United States Department of Interior, Water and Power Resources Service. "Allen Camp Unit, Pit River Division, Central Valley Project, California, Concluding Report." May 1981. United States Department of Interior, Water and Power Resources Service. Project Data, 1981. Denver: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1981. About the Author William Joe Simonds was born and raised in Colorado and has a solid understanding of the importance of water in the American West and its effect on the development of that region. He attended Colorado State University where he received a BA in History in 1992 and a Masters in Public History in 1995. He lives with his wife and two children in Fort Collins, Colorado. |
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