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Description
The Lake Hodges Projects are part of the San Diego County Water Authority's Emergency Storage Project, a system of reservoirs, interconnected pipelines and pumping stations designed to make water available to the San Diego region in the event of an interruption in imported water deliveries.
The Lake Hodges Projects will connect the city of San Diego’s Hodges Reservoir, also called Lake Hodges, to the Water Authority’s Olivenhain Reservoir. The connection provides the ability to store 20,000 acre-feet of water in Hodges Reservoir for emergency use. The connection will also allow water to be pumped back and forth between Hodges Reservoir and Olivenhain Reservoir. From Olivenhain Reservoir, water can be distributed throughout the region by the Water Authority’s delivery system.
When water is transferred downhill from Olivenhain Reservoir into Hodges Reservoir, it will generate up to 40-megawatts of peak hydroelectric energy, enough power to annually sustain nearly 26,000 homes. This energy will help offset project operating costs and support future Water Authority projects. The Lake Hodges Projects will also help keep Hodges Reservoir at a more constant level during dry seasons, capture runoff during rainy seasons and prevent spills over Hodges Dam.
The Lake Hodges Projects construction has four components:
Pipeline Tunnel – a 10-foot diameter underground pipeline, contained in a 1.25 mile long tunnel, connecting the two reservoirs,
Pump Station – a pump station to move water back and forth between the two reservoirs and generate electricity
Electrical Switchyard – an electrical switchyard providing electricity to the pump station and sending electricity from the pump station to a local transmission system, SDG&E will build one part and the Water Authority will build adjacent equipment
Inlet-outlet Structure – an inlet-outlet structure below the water surface that draws and discharges water between the Hodges Reservoir and the pump station
Work began in 2005 and is expected to be completed in late 2009.
Lake Hodges Projects Fact
Sheet 
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