Cuyamaca dam
Cuyamaca
Cuyamaca, also known as Lake Cuyamaca, is a public utility located in San Diego, California, along Boulder Creek. This dam, completed in 1887, serves multiple purposes including flood risk reduction, irrigation, and water supply. With a height of 40 feet and a storage capacity of 11,740 acre-feet, Cuyamaca plays a crucial role in managing water resources in the region.
Managed by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for safety and regulation, Cuyamaca has a high hazard potential but is currently in satisfactory condition as of the last assessment in September 2017. The dam is inspected annually, with the most recent inspection conducted in September 2019. Despite its age, Cuyamaca continues to be a vital infrastructure for water management in the area, ensuring the safety of downstream communities and providing essential water resources for various uses.
As a key component in the flood risk reduction efforts in the region, Cuyamaca is a historic and essential structure that exemplifies the intersection of water resource management and climate resilience. With its strategic location and storage capacity, this dam remains an integral part of California's water infrastructure, highlighting the importance of maintaining and monitoring such critical assets in the face of changing climate conditions.
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 Cuyamaca -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetwater R Nr Descanso Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Santa Ysabel C Nr Ramona Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Santa Maria C Nr Ramona Ca | · | → |
| Sweetwater R A Dehesa Ca | · | → |
| Los Coches C Nr Lakeside Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Guejito C Nr San Pasqual Ca | 0 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cuyamaca.
Boat launches
- Sutherland Dam Road 21568-21722, Ramona
- Highway 76 26439, Santa Ysabel
- San Diego County
- 2315-2351 Barrett Lake Rd, California
- Lake Miramar
- Lake Hodges Boat Launching Area
Campgrounds
- Lake Cuyamaca Park
- Camp Hual-Cu-Cuish (Closed)
- Paso Picacho Campground
- Paso Picacho - Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
- William Heise
- Green Valley - Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Fishing spots
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)
- Confluence Of Fry And Iron Spring Creeks (E1/2, Sec 3, T10s,R1e To Se1/4 Sec 16, T10s, R2e
- Cañon La Presa (Valle Las Palma To Presa Rodriguez)
- Santa Margarita River
Track Cuyamaca 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 Cuyamaca
Where does the data for Cuyamaca 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 Cuyamaca.