IRWD goes above and beyond for dam safety

 

Dams provide many benefits to communities around the nation, including water storage, electrical power, flood control, and recreational and economic opportunities. But they also carry some risk: requiring strict and rigid guidelines for their design, construction, maintenance and operation to ensure their safety.

For more than 60 years, Irvine Ranch Water District has safely owned, operated and maintained dams and reservoirs, with current locations at Irvine Lake, Rattlesnake, San Joaquin, Sand Canyon and Syphon reservoirs.

Our dams and reservoirs are designed for safety, and they are routinely monitored and inspected by the California Department of Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams. IRWD has also retained a review team of engineers and dam safety experts who have been nationally recognized as some of the best in the field to provide their expertise as needed.

In observance of National Dam Safety Awareness Day on May 31, we’d like to highlight some of the steps involved in IRWD’s Dam Safety Program, which exceeds state and national standards.

Designed for safety

Earthen embankment dams, like ours, are proven to be resilient in earthquakes. Made of compacted earth, they are proven to be resilient and self-healing in earthquakes, and they have a strong record of safety.

Regulation and oversight

Our dams are regulated by the California Department of Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) and are inspected at least once a year. In addition to these annual inspections, IRWD routinely monitors and inspects its dams.

Emergency Action Plans

Our commitment to the community includes developing and maintaining an Emergency Action Plan for each of our dams to identify potential emergency conditions, and preplanned actions to ensure safety.

Self-contained for safety

Most of IRWD’s reservoirs receive very little or no water from rivers or streams. That means we can control the flow of water in and out — like filling or draining your bathtub.

Going above and beyond

To ensure we’re going above and beyond for safety, IRWD retains a review team of engineers and dam safety experts who have been nationally recognized as some of the best in the field.

Our staff inspects all five dams daily, and caretakers are stationed locally to each dam for rapid response.

Finally, the DSOD provides a safety rating for each of IRWD’s dams based on several factors including the height of the dam and the storage capacity of the reservoir, and has concluded that all IRWD dams are safe for continued use. To learn more about DSOD’s safety ratings for each of IRWD’s five dams, please view our ratings chart here.

Click here for more details about our Dam Safety Program.