Orvis dam
Orvis
Orvis is a privately owned dam located in Farmington, California, along the Buckham Gulch. Completed in 1959, Orvis serves the primary purpose of water supply for irrigation and other uses in the region. The earth dam stands at a height of 34 feet with a hydraulic height of 28 feet, providing a storage capacity of 500 acre-feet and covering a surface area of 47 acres.
Managed by the California Department of Water Resources and Safety of Dams, Orvis is regulated, permitted, and inspected by the state authorities to ensure its safe operation. Despite being classified as having a low hazard potential, the dam is assessed to be in satisfactory condition as of September 2017. With a last inspection date in February 2020 and an inspection frequency of once per year, Orvis continues to play a crucial role in water resource management in the Stanislaus County.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Orvis represents a significant infrastructure contributing to the water supply and irrigation needs of the area. With its state-regulated status and satisfactory condition, the dam serves as a vital component in ensuring water security and resource management in California. As climate change impacts water availability and usage patterns, monitoring and maintaining structures like Orvis are essential for sustainable water management practices 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 Orvis -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Black C Nr Copperopolis Ca | 1 cfs | → |
| Stanislaus R A Ripon Ca | 1,930 cfs | → |
| Tuolumne R A Modesto Ca | 190 cfs | → |
| Modesto Cn Nr La Grange Ca | 834 cfs | → |
| Tuolumne R Bl Lagrange Dam Nr Lagrange Ca | 186 cfs | → |
| Turlock Cn Nr La Grange Ca | 912 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Orvis.
Campgrounds
- Woodward Reservoir
- Horseshoe Road Recreation Area & Campground
- South Lake Tulloch R.V. Campground & Marina
- Ironhorse- Glory Hole Area - New Melones Lake
- Gloryhole Rec Area- Ironhorse - Usbr
- Glory Recreation Area
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Confluence With North Fork And Middle Fork Stanislaus To Clark Flat
- Mokelumne River
- Sandbar To Confluence With North Fork Stanislaus River
- Below Mckay's Reservoir To Confluence With Middle Fork Stanislaus River
More reservoirs
Track Orvis 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 Orvis
Where does the data for Orvis 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 Low 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 Orvis.