Putts Lake dam
Putts Lake
Putts Lake, located in Blue Canyon, California, is a privately owned dam with a primary purpose of flood risk reduction. Constructed in 1916, this earth dam stands at a height of 19 feet and has a storage capacity of 249 acre-feet. The dam spans a length of 1025 feet and covers a surface area of 34 acres.
Managed by the California Department of Water Resources, Putts Lake is regulated and inspected regularly to ensure its safety and compliance with state standards. Despite being classified as having a high hazard potential, the dam's condition assessment in 2017 deemed it to be in satisfactory condition. With its location on Blue Canyon Creek and its critical role in flood risk reduction, Putts Lake plays a crucial role in water resource management in the area.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Putts Lake offers a fascinating example of early 20th-century dam engineering and its continued importance in mitigating flood risks and providing water supply and irrigation benefits. With its rich history, strategic location, and ongoing maintenance and regulatory oversight, Putts Lake stands as a testament to the vital role of dams in managing water resources in California's diverse and dynamic environment.
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 Putts Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| N Yuba R Bl Goodyears Bar Ca | 549 cfs | → |
| Little Truckee R Bl Div Dam Nr Sierraville Ca | 3 cfs | → |
| Donner C A Donner Lk Nr Truckee Ca | 24 cfs | → |
| Independence C Nr Truckee Ca | 34 cfs | → |
| Pilot C Bl Mutton Canyon Nr Georgetown Ca | 2 cfs | → |
| Donner C At Hwy 89 Nr Truckee Ca | 84 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Putts Lake.
Boat launches
- Lake Spaulding Road 10260, Nevada City
- Fuller Lake Boating Site
- Iowa Hill Road Placer County
- Meadow Lake Road Nevada County
- Woodcamp Access Road Nevada County
- Henness Pass Road, Sierraville
Campgrounds
- Bear Valley Group Area
- Campsite - Metal Bench
- Tunnel Mills Group Campground
- Lake Spaulding Campground
- Donner Summit Area - Lake Spaulding
- Lake Spaulding
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Langs Crossing Bridge To One-Half Mile West Of Confluence With Fall Creek (Boundary Of Nf And Private Land)
- One-Half Mile West Of Confluence With Fall Creek To Confluence With Jefferson Creek
- Generation And Giant Gaps (Tadpole To Colfax-Iowa Hill Road)
- Royal Gorge (Soda Springs To Tadpole Creek)
- Chamberlain Falls (Iowa Hill To Yankee Jim)
- Interbay To Oxbow (End Of The World)
Track Putts Lake 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 Putts Lake
Where does the data for Putts Lake 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 Putts Lake.