Alturas Power Line is off in the distance.
Alturas Power Line is off in the distance.
You are looking west at the Sierra Pacific's Alturas Power Transmission line feeding Reno Nevada electricity from the Pacific Northwest States. This picture was recently take in July 1999. It was shot from the road west of the official government Oregon Trail signpost.
Zoom of the westerly photo of the post.
This picture was taken in late 1996. The power line is clearly not there. It was take from behind the official government Oregon Trail signpost looking west in the same direction as the above picture. Notice the mountains in the background. The look the same don't they?
It doesn't get any clear than this. The map clearly shows the power line running down Lassen County Parcel number 109-050-14, 109-050-15, 109-090-18&19, and 109-090-15. These are parcels which are in the Wild Horse Acres plot.
Clearer yet, this is the reason zoning is the way it is.
On the other hand, this sign is on BLM land. The government has a right to put this sign there. The government has a right to say keep out too. The point, no one is sure what high power will do this close to the ground. 450,000 volts is major voltage. At one meter is 450KiloVolt/meter. At 30 meters it is 15KV/meter. 15KV/m is major impact on the ground. Current being generally a function of demand, say 1000 amps. 450MVA is not insignificant power. At 30 meters, it is 500KiloWatts of electrotonic impact.
Typical house voltage is 120 volts. Typical current line is 20 amps. Typically house current feeds are 100 amps - 200 amps. Typically, the high voltage lines in the street are 15,000 volts. Typically, in an urban area, tower power transmission lines are 100,000 volts at 1000 amps. 150,000 volt line are really tricky. Birds land on them in the wrong place, there might not be much left of the bird. Lucky for birds, major power lines vibrate due to the massive current loads. Birds tend to shy off landing. Not always, it's a problem. 450,000 volts, the birds might not make it on the fly.
Why is this picture and sign important?
It is important because it shows biologically sensitive things can happen here. Not that anyone knows what the biological research will turn up. It's important that the land under these power lines is subject to a biological research sensitive enough to warrant keeping people off it in the middle of nowhere. Look at the land, does it look like there is a lot of people treading all over the place to you? This is a warning sign!
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