Palo Verde dam
Palo Verde
Palo Verde, also known as Palo Verde Lake, is a privately-owned dam located in Chula Vista, California. This earth-type dam was completed in 1970 and serves primarily for water supply purposes, with a storage capacity of 1000 acre-feet. The dam has a height of 67 feet and spans 758 feet in length, with a hydraulic height of 53.28 feet. It is situated along the Sweetwater River and falls under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Department of Water Resources and Safety of Dams in California.
Despite its satisfactory condition assessment, Palo Verde poses a high hazard potential due to its location and structural characteristics. Regular inspections are conducted, with the last one taking place in May 2020, to ensure its safety and compliance with regulatory standards. The dam is equipped with emergency action plans, although specific details regarding their preparedness and compliance with guidelines are not provided in the data. The dam's risk assessment and management measures are also unspecified, leaving room for further evaluation and improvement to mitigate potential hazards and ensure the safety of the surrounding community and water resources.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Palo Verde presents an intriguing case study in dam infrastructure and management. With its location in a high-risk area and the complexities of balancing water supply needs with environmental and safety concerns, this dam serves as a focal point for discussions on sustainable water management practices and the challenges of maintaining aging infrastructure. As efforts continue to address climate change impacts on water resources, the significance of dams like Palo Verde in ensuring water security and resilience underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring, assessment, and risk management strategies to safeguard both the dam's integrity and the surrounding ecosystem.
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 Palo Verde -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater R Nr Descanso Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Sweetwater R A Dehesa Ca | · | → |
| Los Coches C Nr Lakeside Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Jamul C Nr Jamul Ca | 9 cfs | → |
| San Diego R A Mast Rd Nr Santee Ca | 7 cfs | → |
| Campo C Nr Campo Ca | 0 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Palo Verde.
Boat launches
- 2315-2351 Barrett Lake Rd, California
- San Diego County
- Sutherland Dam Road 21568-21722, Ramona
- Lake Miramar
- Glorietta Bay Marina A California Yacht Marina
- Mission Bay Drive San Diego
Campgrounds
- Lake Jennings
- Green Valley - Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
- Green Valley Campground
- Corral Canyon Campground
- Corral Canyon
- Bobcat Meadow
Fishing spots
- El Capitan Reservoir
- Barrett Lake (San Diego City)
- Barrett Lake
- Jennings Lake
- San Vicente Reservoir
- Lake Morena
Paddle runs
- Crouch Ranch To Morena Reservoir
- Forest Boundary, Above Zoo Creek Below Spillway (S1/2, Sec 3, T11s, R2e) To La Jolla Indian Reservation Boundary (N1/2, Sec 31, T10s, R2e)
- Cañon La Presa (Valle Las Palma To Presa Rodriguez)
- Confluence Of Fry And Iron Spring Creeks (E1/2, Sec 3, T10s,R1e To Se1/4 Sec 16, T10s, R2e
- Santa Margarita River
Track Palo Verde 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 Palo Verde
Where does the data for Palo Verde 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 Palo Verde.