Bear Gulch dam
Bear Gulch
Bear Gulch in Menlo Park, California, is a privately owned earth dam completed in 1896 primarily for water supply purposes. With a height of 61 feet and a storage capacity of 725.45 acre-feet, the dam is located on the Tr San Fran Bay stream, serving as a vital resource for the local community. Despite its historical significance, recent assessments have deemed its condition as poor, with a high hazard potential, prompting the need for regular inspections and enforcement to ensure public safety.
Managed by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), Bear Gulch is subject to state regulations, inspections, and permitting. The dam's proximity to San Mateo County and its strategic location within the Sacramento District reinforces its importance in the region's water infrastructure. While the dam's structural integrity is a concern, its historical value and critical role in water supply underscore the need for continued maintenance and potential risk management measures to safeguard this essential resource.
As climate change poses challenges to water resources, Bear Gulch stands as a reminder of the delicate balance between human intervention and nature's forces. With the potential for increased extreme weather events and rising sea levels, the resilience and adaptability of structures like Bear Gulch become crucial in ensuring water security for future generations. By prioritizing maintenance, monitoring, and risk assessment, Bear Gulch can continue to serve as a vital water source while adapting to the evolving climate landscape.
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 Bear Gulch -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisquito C A Stanford University Ca | 6 cfs | → |
| Matadero C A Palo Alto Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| San Mateo C Bl Lo Crystal Sp Res Nr San Mateo Ca | 4 cfs | → |
| San Gregorio C A San Gregorio Ca | 14 cfs | → |
| Pilarcitos C Bl Stone Dam Nr Hillsborough Ca | 4 cfs | → |
| Pilarcitos C A Half Moon Bay Ca | 10 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Bear Gulch.
Boat launches
- San Francisco Bay Trail East Palo Alto
- Palo Alto Boat Launch
- Whidbey Lane Redwood City
- Sawyer Camp Trail San Mateo County
- J Hart Clinton Drive San Mateo
- Santa Clara County
Campgrounds
- Black Mountain Backpack Camp
- Camp Jones Gulch Ymca
- San Mateo Memorial County Park
- Shaw Flat Trail Camp (Primitive)
- Portola Redwoods State Park
- Tarwater Trail Camp (Primitive)
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Gold Creek To Three Pools (Opal Creek Run)
- Headwaters To Mouth
- Headwaters To Ends One Quarter Mile South Of Bear Valley Road Bridge Segment 1: Ends 1/4 Mile South Of Bear Valley Road Bridge Segment 2: Caltrans Corporation Yard At Point Reyes Staton.
- Olema Ranch Campground To Caltrans Corporation Yard At Point Reyes Station
More reservoirs
Track Bear Gulch 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 Bear Gulch
Where does the data for Bear Gulch 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 Bear Gulch.