|
Incident ID |
CA00775-3507 |
|
Dam Name |
SWEETWATER MAIN |
|
Downstream Hazard Potential |
H |
|
State |
CA |
|
Incident Date |
01/30/1916 |
|
Incident Type |
Failure |
|
Incident Driver |
Hydrologic/flooding |
|
Incident Mechanism 1 |
Overtopping |
|
Incident Mechanism 2 |
|
|
Incident Mechanism 3 |
|
|
Incident Description |
Between mid-January to Jan 30th more than 20 inches of rain fell. 10+ inches fell during the last week of January alone. Then, on January 30, 1916, Sweetwater Dam was overtopped by 3.5 feet when 45,000 cfs flowed into the reservoir. The hybrid earth embankments constructed after the 1895 flood to protect the abutments were washed out. Without the protection, the abutments breached. The North abutment breach was 90 feet long and 45 feet deep. The south abutment breah was 20 feet long and 40 feet deep. |
|
Named Hydrologic Event |
|
|
EAP Enacted (Y/N) due to Incident |
|
|
Fatalities (Number) |
8 |
|
Number of People Evacuated |
|
|
Number of Habitable Structures Evacuated |
|
|
Number of Habitable Structures Flooded |
|
|
Other Infrastructure Impacts |
Railroads |
|
Economic Damages (in $) |
$1 million to $5 million |
|
Volume released at failure (ac-ft) |
|
|
Response |
|
|
Additional Remarks or Updates |
8 people were killed and $3M ($68M today) damage was caused downstream, especially to (Sweetwater Co.) pipelines, railway tracks and electric utility lines |
|
Incident Time |
|
|
Incident Duration |
|
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Incident Report Produced |
|
|
Information Sources |
ASDSO Decade Dam Failures |
|
Owner Type |
U |
|
Dam Type |
PG |
|
Primary Purpose(s) |
ST |
|
EAP |
Y |
|
Year Completed |
1888 |
|
Year Modified |
0 |
|
Dam Height |
112 ft |
|
Max Storage (ac-ft) |
27689 ac-ft |
|
Surface Area (acres) |
936 acres |
|
River Name |
SWEETWATER RIVER |
|
Latitude |
32.6921 |
|
Longitude |
-117.008 |
|
Regulatory Agency(ies) |
DWR, SAFETY OF DAMS |
|
NID Number |
CA00775 |
|
Attachments |
Y |
