Santa Fe Dam
Encyclopedia
Santa Fe Dam is a flood-control dam on the San Gabriel River
located a few miles southwest of Azusa
in Los Angeles County, California
. For most of the year, the 92 feet (28 m)-high dam and its reservoir lie empty, but can hold more than 45000 acre feet of water during major storms. During the dry season, the basin behind the dam is used for groundwater recharge, as well as various recreational activities.
; however, work stopped in 1943 and did not resume again until 1946 due to the unlucky intervention of a major flood and World War II
. The dam embankment and spillway were completed in early 1947, and the entire project was finished in January 1949 with the installation of the spillway gates, four months ahead of schedule.
of the San Gabriel River roughly 3 mi (4.8 km) downstream from the San Gabriel Mountains
. The dam is of zoned earthen construction and has a structural height of 92 feet (28 m), standing 87 feet (26.5 m) above the riverbed. It is one of the largest dams by volume in the United States, containing more than 12000000 cubic yards (9,174,658.3 m³) of material in an embankment more than four miles long.
The reservoir formed behind Santa Fe has a maximum capacity of 45409 acre feet at spillway crest, 21 feet (6.4 m) below the top of the dam itself. Water releases from the dam are controlled by two sets of gates. The outlet works, located at the base of the dam, are fed by sixteen 7 ft (2.1 m) conduits capable of discharging 17000 cuft/s. The emergency spillway
is located to the northwest of the dam and comprises a concrete overflow weir with a capacity of 200000 cuft/s.
, with its reservoir empty most of the year. During large floods, water is stored behind the dam and then released as quickly as possible without exceeding the capacity of downstream levee
s. Releases from Santa Fe are coordinated with Whittier Narrows Dam
10 miles (16.1 km) downstream, as well as the upstream Cogswell
, San Gabriel
and Morris
Dams, to provide flood protection to cities along the San Gabriel River. By capacity, it is the second largest dam along the San Gabriel, after Whittier Narrows.
During the summer and autumn months, most of the water flowing into the Santa Fe reservoir is diverted into the Santa Fe Spreading Grounds, located near the upper end of the flood control basin, helping to recharge groundwater
levels in the San Gabriel Valley
. Excess inflow can be sent to the Peck Road Water Conservation Area and additional spreading grounds along the Rio Hondo
. As a result, the San Gabriel River channel below the dam is often bone dry. Most of the spreading grounds are owned and maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
, reclaiming an average of 110000 acre feet of water each year.
is an 836 acres (338.3 ha) multi-use facility located behind the dam. The park's mainstay is a 70 acres (28.3 ha) lake with boat rentals, fishing, and a swimming beach, as well as hiking trails and plant conservation areas.
San Gabriel River (California)
The San Gabriel River flows through southern Los Angeles County, California in the United States. Its main stem is about long, while its farthest tributaries extend almost altogether...
located a few miles southwest of Azusa
Azusa, California
Azusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 46,361 at the 2010 census, up from 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa"...
in Los Angeles County, 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...
. For most of the year, the 92 feet (28 m)-high dam and its reservoir lie empty, but can hold more than 45000 acre feet of water during major storms. During the dry season, the basin behind the dam is used for groundwater recharge, as well as various recreational activities.
History
Construction of the dam began in 1941 under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), mainly in response to major floods on the river in 1938Los Angeles Flood of 1938
The Los Angeles Flood of 1938 or 1938 Los Angeles flood was a major flooding event that was responsible for inundating much of Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties, California, during early 1938...
; however, work stopped in 1943 and did not resume again until 1946 due to the unlucky intervention of a major flood and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The dam embankment and spillway were completed in early 1947, and the entire project was finished in January 1949 with the installation of the spillway gates, four months ahead of schedule.
Statistics
Santa Fe Dam is a horseshoe-shaped curved gravity structure located on the alluvial flood plainAlluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
of the San Gabriel River roughly 3 mi (4.8 km) downstream from the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
. The dam is of zoned earthen construction and has a structural height of 92 feet (28 m), standing 87 feet (26.5 m) above the riverbed. It is one of the largest dams by volume in the United States, containing more than 12000000 cubic yards (9,174,658.3 m³) of material in an embankment more than four miles long.
The reservoir formed behind Santa Fe has a maximum capacity of 45409 acre feet at spillway crest, 21 feet (6.4 m) below the top of the dam itself. Water releases from the dam are controlled by two sets of gates. The outlet works, located at the base of the dam, are fed by sixteen 7 ft (2.1 m) conduits capable of discharging 17000 cuft/s. The emergency 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...
is located to the northwest of the dam and comprises a concrete overflow weir with a capacity of 200000 cuft/s.
Operations
The dam functions as a dry damDry dam
A dry dam is a dam constructed for the purpose of flood control. Dry dams typically contain no gates or turbines, and are intended to allow the channel to flow freely during normal conditions...
, with its reservoir empty most of the year. During large floods, water is stored behind the dam and then released as quickly as possible without exceeding the capacity of downstream levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s. Releases from Santa Fe are coordinated with Whittier Narrows Dam
Whittier Narrows Dam
Whittier Narrows Dam is a dam on the San Gabriel River in Montebello, California. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control, it is a 17 m tall earth dam. Construction of the dam was completed in 1957. Its reservoir has a capacity of .-External links:*...
10 miles (16.1 km) downstream, as well as the upstream Cogswell
Cogswell Dam
Cogswell Dam is a rockfill dam on the West Fork of the San Gabriel River in Los Angeles County, California. It forms Cogswell Reservoir, which has a capacity of with an average storage of , and serves mainly for flood control in conjunction with San Gabriel and Morris Dams downstream....
, San Gabriel
San Gabriel Dam
San Gabriel Dam is a rockfill dam on the San Gabriel River in the San Gabriel Mountains, in Los Angeles County, California, within the Angeles National Forest...
and Morris
Morris Dam
Morris Dam is a concrete gravity dam across the San Gabriel River in the U.S. state of California. The dam was built in the 1930s as a water supply facility for the city of Pasadena, but is now mostly utilized for flood control and flow regulation for groundwater recharge...
Dams, to provide flood protection to cities along the San Gabriel River. By capacity, it is the second largest dam along the San Gabriel, after Whittier Narrows.
During the summer and autumn months, most of the water flowing into the Santa Fe reservoir is diverted into the Santa Fe Spreading Grounds, located near the upper end of the flood control basin, helping to recharge groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
levels in the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
. Excess inflow can be sent to the Peck Road Water Conservation Area and additional spreading grounds along the Rio Hondo
Rio Hondo (California)
The Rio Hondo is a tributary of the Los Angeles River in Los Angeles County, California, approximately long. As a named river, it begins in Irwindale and flows southwest to its confluence in South Gate, passing through several cities...
. As a result, the San Gabriel River channel below the dam is often bone dry. Most of the spreading grounds are owned and maintained by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works is responsible for the construction and operation of Los Angeles County's roads, building safety, sewerage, and flood control...
, reclaiming an average of 110000 acre feet of water each year.
Recreation
During most of the year, the empty reservoir behind the Santa Fe Dam is used for recreational purposes. The Santa Fe Dam Recreation AreaSanta Fe Dam Recreation Area
The Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area is a county park located in Irwindale, California, USA in the San Gabriel Valley and nestled among the gravel quarries in the area. It is maintained and operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation...
is an 836 acres (338.3 ha) multi-use facility located behind the dam. The park's mainstay is a 70 acres (28.3 ha) lake with boat rentals, fishing, and a swimming beach, as well as hiking trails and plant conservation areas.