Sept. 17 Update: The dates for this closure have now been set. The Tarantula Gulch boat ramp on the McCloud Reservoir will be closed September 18-20 as work is done to improve outlet gates on the McCloud Dam in Siskiyou County.
The story below was published on Aug. 17.
McCLOUD — The Tarantula Gulch boat ramp on McCloud Reservoir will need to close for three days in September as work is being done to improve outlet gates on the McCloud Dam in Siskiyou County.
PG&E is replacing the hydraulic control unit and hydraulic lines that activate and operate the opening and closing of four underwater gates along the upstream face of the dam. The upgrades will improve the reliability of the outlet gate control system and enhance PG&E’s ability to release water from the reservoir in the event of an emergency.
PG&E’s McCloud Dam and reservoir is in Siskiyou County.
PG&E’s contractor will start the work sometime after Labor Day. The Tarantula Gulch boat ramp on the west shore of the McCloud Reservoir will be closed for three days – Tuesday through Thursday – sometime in September so construction barges can be launched and loaded. Currents will provide an update when the exact dates are known.
The contractor will use barges to ferry crews and materials to the dam. Other popular locations around the lake will remain open, but motorists should expect occasional brief traffic delays while work is underway.
A second temporary closure is planned for November when the boat ramp will be closed for another two to three days when work is completed and the equipment removed. PG&E will provide specific dates once the schedule is known. Alternate reservoirs for recreation include Lake Siskiyou near Mt. Shasta City, and Lake Britton adjacent to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.
Once the boat ramp closure dates are finalized, PG&E will post this information at www.pge.com/recreation and on the PG&E recreation information line at (916) 386-5164.
The McCloud dam and reservoir are part of PG&E’s McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project, which includes the James B. Black, Pit 6 and Pit 7 powerhouses in Shasta County. The three powerhouses generate enough clean, carbon-free electricity each year to serve the annual electric needs of more than 230,000 homes.
