Morena Dam reservoir
Morena Dam
Morena Dam is a concrete arch dam located in San Diego County, California. It was built in 1912 by the Morena Rock Company to provide irrigation water for crops in the surrounding areas. The dam has a height of 155 feet and a length of 540 feet. It impounds the waters of the Cottonwood Creek and is used as a storage reservoir for the City of San Diego.
The hydrology of the dam is sourced from both surface flow and snowpack. The dam collects water from the Cottonwood Creek and from the mountainous regions surrounding the area. The snowmelt from the nearby Laguna Mountains also contributes to the water supply of the dam. The water stored in the dam is used for agricultural purposes and for recreation, including fishing and boating.
The dam has faced a few challenges in the past, including the 2003 Cedar Fire, which burnt a significant portion of the watershed that supplies water to the dam. Despite this, the dam has continued to provide a reliable water supply to the surrounding communities.
Daily levels at Morena Dam
Storage volume, pool elevation, and total release plotted from the operating agency's daily observations.
Storage
acre-ft · code 2
Pool Elevation
ft · code 1
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Morena Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Campo C Nr Campo Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Sweetwater R Nr Descanso Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Sweetwater R A Dehesa Ca | · | → |
| Jamul C Nr Jamul Ca | 10 cfs | → |
| Los Coches C Nr Lakeside Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| San Diego R A Mast Rd Nr Santee Ca | 7 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Morena Dam.
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
- Lake Morena
- Barrett Lake (San Diego City)
- Barrett Lake
- El Capitan Reservoir
- Cuyamaca Lake
- Lower Otay Reservoir
Paddle runs
- Crouch Ranch To Morena Reservoir
- Cañon La Presa (Valle Las Palma To Presa Rodriguez)
- Forest Boundary, Above Zoo Creek Below Spillway (S1/2, Sec 3, T11s, R2e) To La Jolla Indian Reservation Boundary (N1/2, Sec 31, T10s, R2e)
- Confluence Of Fry And Iron Spring Creeks (E1/2, Sec 3, T10s,R1e To Se1/4 Sec 16, T10s, R2e
More reservoirs
Track Morena Dam in the Snoflo app
Save this reservoir as a favorite and set push alerts when storage crosses a threshold (e.g. "alert me at 80% of normal").
About Morena Dam
Where does the data for Morena Dam come from?
Daily storage, pool elevation, and release rates are sourced from USGS, USBR, and USACE monitoring stations. Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
Storage observations are updated daily by the operating agency. The 15-day weather forecast refreshes throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- check the "as of" timestamp on the storage card.
What does the Hazard hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this reservoir, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Morena Dam.