Santa Anita Dam
Encyclopedia
Santa Anita Dam is a concrete thin-arch dam
on Santa Anita Creek
in the San Gabriel Mountains
of Los Angeles County, California
. The dam, owned by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, serves for flood, water conservation and sedimentation control purposes. It stands 225 feet (68.6 m) high and 612 feet (186.5 m) long, holding 858 acre.ft of water with a maximum capacity of 1028 acre feet. The catchment area for the dam is 10.8 square miles (28 km²). The dam was completed in 1927.
The dam is situated in the steep San Gabriel foothills, north of Sierra Madre
and Arcadia
. It is located just north of the boundary of the Angeles National Forest
. The dam is visible from Santa Anita Canyon Road, which runs along the west slope of the Santa Anita Canyon
and provides access into trails further upstream along Santa Anita Creek. The viewing window for the dam is very short, only about a half-mile; the access road which runs down into the canyon from Santa Anita Canyon Road is closed to the public. However, the First Water trail, which leads downstream from Chantry Flat
along the creek, is said to provide access to the reservoir.
Since the 1990s the maximum allowed storage of water has been restricted, to ensure that the dam will not collapse due to seismic instability. This has partially caused rapid silting of the reservoir and sediment removal was started in mid-2009. The reservoir was drained and about 6750000 cubic yards (5,160,745.3 m³) of sediment were removed.
Arch dam
An arch dam is a type of dam that is curved and commonly built with concrete. The arch dam is a structure that is designed to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes...
on Santa Anita Creek
Santa Anita Creek
Santa Anita Creek is a long stream in Los Angeles County, California. It flows southwards from its headwaters in the south ridge of the San Gabriel Mountains, to form the beginnings of the Rio Hondo near Irwindale....
in the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
of Los Angeles County, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The dam, owned by the Los Angeles County Flood Control District, serves for flood, water conservation and sedimentation control purposes. It stands 225 feet (68.6 m) high and 612 feet (186.5 m) long, holding 858 acre.ft of water with a maximum capacity of 1028 acre feet. The catchment area for the dam is 10.8 square miles (28 km²). The dam was completed in 1927.
The dam is situated in the steep San Gabriel foothills, north of Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre, California
The city of Sierra Madre is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California whose population was 10,917 at the 2010 census, up from 10,580 at the time of the 2000 census. The city is located in the Foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains below the southern edge of the Angeles National Forest. ...
and Arcadia
Arcadia, California
Arcadia is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, and located approximately northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains....
. It is located just north of the boundary of the Angeles National Forest
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
. The dam is visible from Santa Anita Canyon Road, which runs along the west slope of the Santa Anita Canyon
Santa Anita Canyon
Santa Anita Canyon is a canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains, within the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California.-Geography:...
and provides access into trails further upstream along Santa Anita Creek. The viewing window for the dam is very short, only about a half-mile; the access road which runs down into the canyon from Santa Anita Canyon Road is closed to the public. However, the First Water trail, which leads downstream from Chantry Flat
Chantry Flat
Chantry Flat is a designated "Recreation Area" within the Angeles National Forest, about three miles into Big Santa Anita Canyon, and is closely associated with the towns of Arcadia and Sierra Madre, CA. The flat itself houses a large public picnic area, and is the starting point for several...
along the creek, is said to provide access to the reservoir.
Since the 1990s the maximum allowed storage of water has been restricted, to ensure that the dam will not collapse due to seismic instability. This has partially caused rapid silting of the reservoir and sediment removal was started in mid-2009. The reservoir was drained and about 6750000 cubic yards (5,160,745.3 m³) of sediment were removed.