Virginia Ranch dam
Virginia Ranch
Virginia Ranch is a public utility-owned dam in California, specifically located in Yuba County near Browns Valley. This earth dam was completed in 1963 and stands at a height of 152 feet, with a storage capacity of 57,000 acre-feet for irrigation purposes. The dam spans a length of 2,800 feet and has a spillway width of 42 feet, allowing for a maximum discharge of 56,700 cubic feet per second.
This dam on French Dry Creek is regulated by the California Department of Water Resources and is subject to regular inspections to ensure its safety and compliance with state regulations. With a high hazard potential, the dam poses moderate risk (rated 3 out of 5) and has an emergency action plan in place. Despite its age, the dam's condition assessment is currently not available, indicating a need for further evaluation to determine its structural integrity and maintenance requirements.
Virginia Ranch serves a vital role in the local water resource infrastructure, providing water for irrigation, hydroelectric power generation, and recreational activities in the surrounding area. As a key component of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's oversight, this dam plays a crucial role in water management and safety for the community, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring and maintenance to ensure its continued functionality and resilience 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 Virginia Ranch -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Deer C Nr Smartville Ca | 34 cfs | → |
| Yuba R Nr Marysville Ca | 1,390 cfs | → |
| Bear R Nr Wheatland Ca | 40 cfs | → |
| N Yuba R Bl Goodyears Bar Ca | 421 cfs | → |
| Nf American R A North Fork Dam Ca | 389 cfs | → |
| Butte C Nr Chico Ca | 291 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Virginia Ranch .
Boat launches
- Yuba County
- Loafer Creek Road, Oroville
- Butte County
- Bidwell Canyon Trail, Oroville
- Pennington Road 1100, Live Oak
Campgrounds
- Collins Lake Rv Park & Campground
- Hornswoggle Group Campground
- Garden Point Campground
- Garden Point
- Frenchy Point Campground
- Frenchy Point
Fishing spots
- Merle Collins Reservoir
- Englebright Lake
- Bullards Bar Reservoir
- Camp Far West Reservoir
- Oroville Lake
- Scotts Flat Lake
Paddle runs
- Confluence With Jefferson Creek To Confluence With Kentucky Creek
- One-Quarter Mile Upstream From Confluence With Slate Creek To Bullards Bar Reservoir Spillway (Elevation 1902 Feet)
- One-Eighth Mile Downstream From Confluence With Cherokee Creek To One-Quarter Mile Upstream From Confluence With Slate Creek
- Headwaters Of North Yuba River (Sec 10, T20n, R13 E) To One-Eighth Mile Downstream Of Confluence With Cherokee Creek
- Slate Reservoir To North Yuba River
- Confluence With South Fork Canyon Creek To Confluence With North Yuba River
Track Virginia 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 Virginia Ranch
Where does the data for Virginia 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 Virginia Ranch .