Cherry Valley dam
Cherry Valley
Cherry Valley, also known as Cherry Lake, is a key water resource infrastructure located in Moccasin, Tuolumne County, California. This dam on Cherry Creek serves various purposes including flood risk reduction, hydroelectric power generation, irrigation, and water supply. Completed in 1956, Cherry Valley Dam is an earth-type structure standing at a height of 315 feet with a storage capacity of 273,500 acre-feet and a surface area of 1,535 acres.
Managed by the local government and regulated by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the dam has a high hazard potential but is currently in satisfactory condition as per the last assessment in September 2017. The dam is subject to state inspection, permitting, and enforcement to ensure its safety and functionality. With a drainage area of 114 square miles, Cherry Valley Dam plays a crucial role in managing water resources and mitigating flood risks in the region.
Situated in the San Francisco District and overseen by Congressman Tom McClintock (R), Cherry Valley Dam plays a vital role in water management and flood protection efforts in the area. With its significant storage capacity and strategic location on Cherry Creek, the dam serves as a critical infrastructure for maintaining water supply, supporting agricultural activities, and safeguarding communities from flood events. As climate change impacts intensify, the proper maintenance and management of Cherry Valley Dam will be essential for ensuring water security and resilience in the region.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
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 Cherry Valley -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry C Bl Valley Dam Nr Hetch Hetchy Ca | 6 cfs | → |
| Eleanor C Nr Hetch Hetchy Ca | 204 cfs | → |
| Lk Eleanor Div To Cherry Lake Nr Hetch Hetchy Ca | 1 cfs | → |
| Cherry C Nr Early Intake Ca | 152 cfs | → |
| Cherry C Bl Dion R Holm Ph | 955 cfs | → |
| Tuolumne R Ab Early Intake Nr Mather Ca | 1,000 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cherry Valley.
Boat launches
Campgrounds
- Cherry Valley Campground
- Lake Eleanor Campground
- Hetch Hetchy Backpackers Camp
- Dimond O Campground
- Diamond O
- Hull Creek
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Clavey River From 3n01 To Cottonwood Road
- Clavey River At Confluence Of Bell And Lily Creeks To 3n01
- One-Tenth Mile Downstream Of Coffin Hollow To Confluence With Bell Creek And Clavey River
- Lilly Creek (Source At Chewing Gum Lake And Y Meadow Lake) To One-Tenth Mile Downstream Of Coffin Hollow
- Confluence With Middle Fork Tuolumne River To Confluence With Tuolumne River
- 0.15 Mile Downstream From Road 4n26b To Confluence With Lilly Creek
More reservoirs
Track Cherry Valley in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Cherry Valley
Where does the data for Cherry Valley come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the High 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 dam, 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 Cherry Valley.