Wood Ranch dam
Wood Ranch
Wood Ranch, also known as Bard Lake, is a public utility water supply dam located in Ventura County, California. Completed in 1965, this earth-fill dam stands at a height of 146 feet and has a storage capacity of 11,000 acre-feet. Situated on Tr Arroyo Simi, this reservoir covers a surface area of 230 acres and serves as a crucial source of water for the surrounding area.
Managed by the California Department of Water Resources, Wood Ranch is regulated and inspected to ensure its safety and functionality. With a high hazard potential but a satisfactory condition assessment, this dam plays a vital role in water supply for the city of Simi and the surrounding communities. As a key component of the local water infrastructure, Wood Ranch serves as a reminder of the importance of sustainable water resource management in the face of climate change and increasing water scarcity.
Maintaining Wood Ranch and other critical water infrastructure is essential to ensuring water security in California. With proper regulation, inspection, and emergency preparedness measures in place, Wood Ranch continues to provide a reliable source of water for the region, highlighting the importance of responsible stewardship of our water resources in the face of a changing climate.
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 Wood Ranch -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara R Nr Piru Ca | 59 cfs | → |
| Calleguas C Nr Camarillo Ca | 6 cfs | → |
| Piru Creek Below Santa Felicia Dam Ca | 35 cfs | → |
| Sespe C Nr Fillmore | 40 cfs | → |
| Santa Paula C Nr Santa Paula | 11 cfs | → |
| Piru Creek Above Lake Piru Ca | 31 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Wood Ranch.
Boat launches
- Piru Canyon Road 4780, Castaic
- Lake Hughes Road Castaic
- Pierpont Harbor Public Launch Ramp
- Interstate 5, Lebec
- Vacquero Boating And Picnic Site
- Vista Del Lago Road 21, Lebec
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Headwaters In The Santa Monica Mountains To Mouth At Pacific Ocean
- Lower Piru Creek (Oulet At Pyramid Reservoir) To Piru Reservoir
- Site Of St Francis Dam Disaster To Seco Canyon At The Nf Boundary
- Castaic To Pyramid Reservoir
- Section Line To Confluence With Rock Creek
- Confluence With Gold Hill Creek To Castaic
Track Wood Ranch 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 Wood Ranch
Where does the data for Wood Ranch 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 Wood Ranch.