Juncal dam
Juncal
Juncal, also known as Jameson Lake, is a significant public utility located in Santa Barbara, California, specifically in the city of Summerland. This dam serves multiple purposes, including flood risk reduction, irrigation, and water supply, showcasing its vital role in managing water resources in the region. Built in 1930, Juncal is an arch-type dam standing at a height of 160 feet with a hydraulic height of 154 feet, offering a storage capacity of 6140 acre-feet and covering a surface area of 138 acres.
With a high hazard potential but a satisfactory condition assessment as of September 2017, Juncal is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) under the Safety of Dams program. The dam is situated on the Santa Ynez River, providing critical flood protection for the surrounding areas and supporting agricultural activities through irrigation. Managed by a public utility entity, Juncal plays a crucial role in water management and climate resilience efforts in California.
Despite its age, Juncal continues to meet safety standards and undergo regular inspections, with the most recent one conducted in June 2020. With its strategic location and significant storage capacity, Juncal serves as a key infrastructure for flood control and water supply in Santa Barbara County. As water resource and climate enthusiasts, it is essential to recognize the importance of dams like Juncal in ensuring water security and mitigating the impacts of climate change on water availability in the region.
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 Juncal -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Carpinteria C Nr Carpinteria Ca | 0 cfs | → |
| Matilija C Nr Res Nr Matilija Hot Springs Ca | 2 cfs | → |
| Gibraltar Dam Div Weir A Gibraltar Dam Ca | 13 cfs | → |
| Santa Ynez R Bl Gibraltar Dam Nr Snta Brb C Ca | 5 cfs | → |
| Gibralter Dam Rel Wr A Gibralter Dam Ca | · | → |
| Mission C A Rnp A Santa Barbara Ca | · | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Juncal.
⚓ Boat launches
More boat launches →⛺ Campgrounds
- Alder Creek Camp
- Upper Santa Ynez Camp
- Middle Santa Ynez
- Middle Santa Ynez Campground
- P-Bar Flat Campground
- Lake Casitas
🎣 Fishing spots
More fishing →🛶 Paddle runs
- Chorro Grande Canyon To Section Line Dividing Sec 1, T5n, R23w And Sec 6, T5n, T22w
- Section Line To Confluence With Rock Creek
- Headwaters, Upper Piru Creek To Wildernes Boundary
- Wilderness Boundary To Confluence With Gold Hill Creek
- Confluence With Gold Hill Creek To Castaic
- Castaic To Pyramid Reservoir
🛡 More reservoirs
More reservoirs →Track Juncal 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 Juncal
Where does the data for Juncal 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 Juncal.