Sawmill Spillway dam
Sawmill Spillway
Sawmill Spillway, located in the beautiful Sawmill Campground in California, is a crucial piece of infrastructure designed by Ebasco Services, Inc. The spillway serves multiple purposes, including irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, recreation, and water supply, reflecting its significance in the region. Built in 1910, the spillway has a buttress dam type with a height of 9 feet and a length of 270 feet, providing a storage capacity of 3030 acre-feet.
Managed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Sawmill Spillway plays a vital role in regulating water flow and ensuring the safety of Canyon Creek. With a low hazard potential and a moderate risk assessment, the spillway is equipped with an uncontrolled spillway type with a width of 228 feet. While its condition assessment is currently unavailable, the spillway's emergency action plan was last revised in December 2020, highlighting the ongoing efforts to maintain its safety and functionality for the surrounding communities.
In the midst of concerns over water resource management and climate change, Sawmill Spillway stands as a crucial asset in California's infrastructure network. With its multiple functions and regulated oversight, the spillway continues to play a key role in water management, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation in the region. As efforts to address climate-related challenges intensify, the importance of maintaining and upgrading infrastructure like Sawmill Spillway becomes increasingly apparent in safeguarding water resources for future generations.
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 Sawmill Spillway -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Little Truckee R Bl Div Dam Nr Sierraville Ca | 3 cfs | → |
| Independence C Nr Truckee Ca | 16 cfs | → |
| N Yuba R Bl Goodyears Bar Ca | 402 cfs | → |
| Sagehen C Nr Truckee Ca | 8 cfs | → |
| Donner C A Donner Lk Nr Truckee Ca | 10 cfs | → |
| Donner C At Hwy 89 Nr Truckee Ca | 51 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Sawmill Spillway .
Boat launches
- Meadow Lake Road Nevada County
- Woodcamp Access Road Nevada County
- Henness Pass Road, Sierraville
- Fuller Lake Boating Site
- Lake Spaulding Road 10260, Nevada City
- Sardine Lake Road 990, Sierra City
Campgrounds
- Bowman Campground
- Canyon Creek Campground
- Faucherie Group Campground
- Mcmurray
- Lindsey Lake
- Lindsey Lake Campground
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Langs Crossing Bridge To One-Half Mile West Of Confluence With Fall Creek (Boundary Of Nf And Private Land)
- One-Half Mile West Of Confluence With Fall Creek To Confluence With Jefferson Creek
- Generation And Giant Gaps (Tadpole To Colfax-Iowa Hill Road)
- Gold Lake Dam To Falls
- Royal Gorge (Soda Springs To Tadpole Creek)
- Little Jamison Creek Headwaters To State Park
Track Sawmill Spillway 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 Sawmill Spillway
Where does the data for Sawmill Spillway 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 Sawmill Spillway .