San Vicente Dam
Encyclopedia
The San Vicente Dam is a concrete
gravity dam on San Vicente Creek
near Lakeside
and 25 km northeast of San Diego, California
. The dam was built between 1941 and 1943 and created San Vicente Reservoir
for the purpose of municipal water storage, flood control
and recreation
. Although the reservoir is fed by run-off
, its main source is the First San Diego Aqueduct. Beginning in June 2009, construction to raise the height of the dam by 117 ft (35.7 m) in order to more than double its reservoir size has been underway and is set for completion in 2013. It will be the largest dam raise in the United States and largest roller-compacted concrete
dam raise in the world.
and control floods in the San Diego River Basin
. In 1928, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
was created and charged with transferring water from the Colorado River
to southern California but San Diego was excluded from the project. Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct had begun in 1933 and was completed in 1941. However, construction on the San Vicente Dam began in 1941 with anticipation of San Diego receiving water through the Colorado River Aqueduct
. San Diego residents had initially rejected proposals to build the San Vicente Dam in 1939 but after the realization of the city's growing population, voters quickly approved funding for the San Vicente Dam in 1940.
Construction on the dam included pouring concrete into blocks measuring 5 by and incorporating a 275 ft (83.8 m) wide uncontrolled ogee-type spillway
on the dam's downstream face. The outlet works
, which release water for municipal use, connected the reservoir intake on the upstream side of the crest with San Vicente Pipelines 1 and 2 via three cast-iron pipes 36 inches (914.4 mm) in diameter. In 1944, the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) was formed and would soon begin construction on an aqueduct from the Colorado River Aqueduct called the San Diego Aqueduct
to supply projected future water needs. Construction on the San Vicente Dam was completed in 1943 but construction on the First San Diego Aqueduct, which was supplied by the Colorado River Aqueduct, did not begin until 1945. It was not until 1947 that the First Aqueduct was complete and the San Vicente Reservoir began to receive its water.
was extended for a larger foundation.
In 2006, the SDCWA awarded Montgomery Watson Harza (MWH) with a $20.4 million contract which included developing the raised-dam's design and other engineering services during construction. Construction on the roller-compacted concrete
(RCC) dam raise is being managed by Black & Veatch and Parsons
and is being done in specific stages. The first stage began in June 2009 and consists of preparing the dam's foundation and is expected to be complete in 2010 when in the same year the dam raise will begin. The dam raise is expected for completion in 2010 along with the reservoir's replacement pipeline. The reservoir, which was closed for recreation when construction began, will reopen between 2014 and 2017 depending on when it reaches normal levels. The San Vicente Dam Raise itself is estimated to cost $568 million and will be complimented with a new pumping facility and the San Vicente Pipeline which will connect the San Vicente Reservoir to the Second San Diego Aqueduct. The RCC raised-dam will be the tallest dam raise in the United States along with the tallest of its type in the world.
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
gravity dam on San Vicente Creek
San Vicente Creek (San Diego County)
San Vicente Creek is a stream in San Diego County, California. It rises east of Ramona and flows southwest to the San Vicente Reservoir and subsequently its confluence with the San Diego River just north of Lakeside. Its West Branch flows from the west until it reaches the San Vicente Reservoir....
near Lakeside
Lakeside, California
Lakeside is a Census Designated Place in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,648 at the 2010 census, up from 19,560 as of the 2000 census.- History :...
and 25 km northeast of San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The dam was built between 1941 and 1943 and created San Vicente Reservoir
San Vicente Reservoir
San Vicente Reservoir is a reservoir created by the San Vicente Dam in the Cleveland National Forest of San Diego County, California, approximately 7 km north of Lakeside off of California State Route 67 in the Laguna Mountains.-Description:...
for the purpose of municipal water storage, flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
. Although the reservoir is fed by run-off
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
, its main source is the First San Diego Aqueduct. Beginning in June 2009, construction to raise the height of the dam by 117 ft (35.7 m) in order to more than double its reservoir size has been underway and is set for completion in 2013. It will be the largest dam raise in the United States and largest roller-compacted concrete
Roller-compacted concrete
Roller-compacted concrete or rolled concrete is a special blend of concrete that has essentially the same ingredients as conventional concrete but in different ratios, and increasingly with partial substitution of fly ash for Portland cement. RCC is a mix of cement/fly ash, water, sand, aggregate...
dam raise in the world.
History
In the late 19th century, San Diego began constructing dams to help supply municipal water, mitigate droughtDrought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
and control floods in the San Diego River Basin
San Diego River
The San Diego River is a river in San Diego County, California. It originates in the Cuyamaca Mountains northwest of the town of Julian, then flows to the southwest until it reaches the El Capitan Reservoir, the largest reservoir in the river's watershed at . Below El Capitan Dam, the river runs...
. In 1928, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is the largest supplier of treated water in the US. The name is usually shortened to the "Metropolitan Water District" or simply "MWD". It is a cooperative of 14 cities and 12 municipal water districts that indirectly provides water to 18...
was created and charged with transferring water from the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
to southern California but San Diego was excluded from the project. Construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct had begun in 1933 and was completed in 1941. However, construction on the San Vicente Dam began in 1941 with anticipation of San Diego receiving water through the Colorado River Aqueduct
Colorado River Aqueduct
The Colorado River Aqueduct, or CRA, is a water conveyance in Southern California in the United States, operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California . The aqueduct impounds water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu on the California-Arizona border west across the Mojave...
. San Diego residents had initially rejected proposals to build the San Vicente Dam in 1939 but after the realization of the city's growing population, voters quickly approved funding for the San Vicente Dam in 1940.
Construction on the dam included pouring concrete into blocks measuring 5 by and incorporating a 275 ft (83.8 m) wide uncontrolled ogee-type spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
on the dam's downstream face. The outlet works
Outlet works
A set of outlet works is a device used to release and regulate water flow from a dam. Such devices usually consist of one or more pipes or tunnels through the embankment of the dam, directing water usually under high pressure to the river downstream...
, which release water for municipal use, connected the reservoir intake on the upstream side of the crest with San Vicente Pipelines 1 and 2 via three cast-iron pipes 36 inches (914.4 mm) in diameter. In 1944, the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) was formed and would soon begin construction on an aqueduct from the Colorado River Aqueduct called the San Diego Aqueduct
San Diego Aqueduct
The San Diego Project, more popularly referenced as the San Diego Aqueduct, is a system of four aqueducts in the U.S. state of California, supplying about 90 percent of the water supply for the city of San Diego. The system comprises the First and Second San Diego Aqueducts, carrying water from the...
to supply projected future water needs. Construction on the San Vicente Dam was completed in 1943 but construction on the First San Diego Aqueduct, which was supplied by the Colorado River Aqueduct, did not begin until 1945. It was not until 1947 that the First Aqueduct was complete and the San Vicente Reservoir began to receive its water.
Dam raising project
As part of the SDCWA's $1 billion Emergency Storage Project which began in 2000, the San Vicente Dam Raise will increase the height of the 220 ft (67.1 m) dam by 117 ft (35.7 m) to 337 ft (102.7 m). This in turn will more than double the reservoir's current capacity of 145200000 cu yd (111,013,365.4 m³) by increasing it 245226666 cu yd (187,489,238.8 m³) to a total of 390426666 cu yd (298,502,604.2 m³). The original designers had predicted that raising the dam would be necessary in the future and positioned the dam in such a way that its height could be increased by as much as 120 ft along with ensuring its grout curtainGrout curtain
Grout curtains are barriers that protect a dam from seepage and can be used in initial construction or repair. Additionally, they can be used to strengthen foundations and contain spills.-Characteristics:...
was extended for a larger foundation.
In 2006, the SDCWA awarded Montgomery Watson Harza (MWH) with a $20.4 million contract which included developing the raised-dam's design and other engineering services during construction. Construction on the roller-compacted concrete
Roller-compacted concrete
Roller-compacted concrete or rolled concrete is a special blend of concrete that has essentially the same ingredients as conventional concrete but in different ratios, and increasingly with partial substitution of fly ash for Portland cement. RCC is a mix of cement/fly ash, water, sand, aggregate...
(RCC) dam raise is being managed by Black & Veatch and Parsons
Parsons Corporation
Parsons Corporation is an engineering, construction, and technical and management services firm headquartered in Pasadena, California. Founded in 1944 by engineer Ralph M. Parsons, Parsons Corporation is currently one of the largest such companies in the United States, with revenues exceeding...
and is being done in specific stages. The first stage began in June 2009 and consists of preparing the dam's foundation and is expected to be complete in 2010 when in the same year the dam raise will begin. The dam raise is expected for completion in 2010 along with the reservoir's replacement pipeline. The reservoir, which was closed for recreation when construction began, will reopen between 2014 and 2017 depending on when it reaches normal levels. The San Vicente Dam Raise itself is estimated to cost $568 million and will be complimented with a new pumping facility and the San Vicente Pipeline which will connect the San Vicente Reservoir to the Second San Diego Aqueduct. The RCC raised-dam will be the tallest dam raise in the United States along with the tallest of its type in the world.
See also
- List of reservoirs and dams in California
- Lower Otay ReservoirLower Otay ReservoirLower Otay Reservoir is an artificial lake in San Diego County, California, flanked by Otay County Open Space Preserve and Chula Vista. The reservoir is formed by impounding the waters of the Otay River, behind Savage Dam, completed in 1918, and is the terminus for the Second San Diego Aqueduct...
- Saluda DamSaluda DamThe Saluda Dam is an earthen embankment dam located approximately 10 miles west of Columbia, South Carolina on the Saluda River. Construction on the dam began in 1927 and was completed in 1930. The purpose of the dam is flood control, hydroelectricity, recreation and water supply...