San Vicente Dam Raise

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Hot Off the Press

New web cam shows progress at San Vicente Dam

A new web cam system at San Vicente Dam allows the public to witness progress on the world’s largest roller-compacted concrete dam raise.  Two cameras offer different views of construction activities, enabling viewers to see weeks of dam raise work compressed into a brief time-lapse video. 

Click on Topside View   or  Downstream View  for two vantage points of construction.  These high-resolution photos are updated every 30 minutes, providing a current snapshot of dam raise construction. The time-lapse sequences combine these photos, illustrating the construction process.  

Public Tours

During construction, we will be offering a limited number of public tours.  Guests will view the project site from the downstream, or dry side, of San Vicente Dam as work is under way to raise the dam 117 feet. Tour participants must be 18 years of age or older and will be required to follow site safety and security procedures.

To be notified of future public tours of the San Vicente Dam Raise, please forward your contact information to Cipinfo@sdcwa.org.     

 

About This Project

The San Vicente Dam Raise is part of the Emergency Storage Project, a system of reservoirs, interconnected pipelines, and pumping stations designed to make water available to the San Diego region in the event of an interruption in imported water deliveries. 

 

ABOUT THIS PROJECT - DETAILS
 

San Vicente Dam currently stands at 220 feet and can store up to 90,000 acre-feet of water. The dam raise project will increase the height of the dam by 117 feet – the tallest dam raise in the United States and the tallest of its type in the world. The raised dam will store an additional 152,000 acre-feet of water, more than doubling the capacity of the reservoir.

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SCHEDULE
 
Foundation preparatory work Summer 2009 – Summer 2010
Dam raise Spring 2010 - Spring 2013
Replacement pipeline Summer 2014 – Summer 2015
New marina construction Summer 2013 – Summer 2014
Site restoration Summer 2014 – Summer 2015
Reservoir open to recreation Between late 2014 and late 2017

Construction of the San Vicente Dam Raise project began in June 2009 and will take about four years. Construction will take place in multiple phases.

*All dates are approximate and subject to change.

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MAP
 
 

There is no map for this project

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MULTIMEDIA
 
 
Photographic Tour
The following online photographic tour is provided to illustrate San Vicente Dam Raise construction activity.
 
In June 2009, crews began the preparatory work to raise San Vicente Dam an additional 117 feet. The dam raise is scheduled to be complete by early 2013. Further work to construct the new marina and to restore the site will go through 2015. Once the dam raise is complete, the Water Authority will be able to store an additional 152,000 acre-feet of water in San Vicente Reservoir, more than doubling the reservoir's capacity.
 

The design and construction of the dam raise is closely monitored by the California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams, to ensure the new dam is built to the highest safety standards.

  

Main Dam


Before Work Began
In 1943, the city of San Diego constructed the 220-foot-tall San Vicente Dam to store up to 90,000 acre-feet of water. The San Diego County Water Authority’s San Vicente Dam Raise project will increase the height of the dam by 117 feet, more than doubling the capacity of the reservoir.

 


October 2009
About two inches of concrete needed to be removed from the downstream face of the dam. To do this, rails were installed for hydrodemolition equipment to run on. In addition, workers excavated the hillsides around the dam to provide a solid foundation for the new concrete.

Dam Surface and Foundation


November 2009
In preparation for the new concrete to raise the dam, the contractor removed one to two feet from the top of the dam. This created a good bonding surface for the new concrete.



November 2009
In preparation for the new dam foundation, crews first excavated down to solid competent rock. Next, workers placed concrete into any crevices to level it out. This is called “dental concrete” because it is similar to a dentist filling a cavity. Here, representatives of the Division of Safety of Dams are monitoring the work.


June 2010
In some areas the contractor excavated deep into the adjoining hillside to reach competent rock for the new foundation. In these locations, the contractor built concrete shaping blocks to restore the contours of the excavated slopes.


March 2010
Crews used a road header, a drilling machine with a rotating head, to tunnel through 100 feet of concrete at the base of the dam.


March 2010
A new low-level outlet pipe was installed in a new tunnel through the dam. Its purpose will be to draw down the  reservoir in the event of a dam safety emergency after the project is complete.

Saddle Dam Foundation

 

August 2009
As part of the San Vicente Dam Raise project, a new, smaller saddle dam must be constructed at a low point in the surrounding hills. This will enable the reservoir to reach its maximum water storage capacity. Here, the contractor is excavating the foundation for the saddle dam.

August 2009
The saddle dam crosses the original marina access road, seen in the center of this photograph. A new access road will be constructed to reach the new marina. It will be wider, less steep, and more truck- and trailer-friendly.

 

Marina & Rock Crushing

 

August 2009
The original marina facilities were demolished as part of the first phase of construction. This area will be under water once the reservoir is filled to the new water level.
 

November 2009
A new marina will be constructed near the large rock pile in the background of this picture, about 800 feet up the canyon from the former marina. The former marina parking area, visible in the foreground, has been demolished.

November 2009
A rock-crushing and conveyor system was set up near the old marina. It processed rock from nearby hillsides, as well as rock that had been stockpiled over the past few years from the Water Authority’s earlier projects at San Vicente. The crushed rock was delivered by conveyor system down to the old marina.

June 2011
An extensive aggregate mining and processing plant is now operational above the former marina. Roller-compacted concrete produced in the batch plant (center) will be delivered to the dam via a conveyor system.

Reservoir & Future Dam

 


August 2009
The city of San Diego significantly lowered the water level before construction began. The water taken out of the reservoir was used by the city’s customers. The “bathtub ring” above the shoreline reveals the previous water level. When the dam raise is complete and the reservoir is completely refilled, the surface area of the reservoir will increase by approximately 500 acres. The reservoir remains operational during dam raise construction.

November 2009
An aerial view of the project site shows the existing 220-foot-tall dam and recent excavation that extends uphill to the right of the dam. This excavation for the new foundation illustrates how high the dam will be once it is raised 117 feet.

Dam Rendering
The raised dam will be 337 feet tall and will be made of roller-compacted concrete. This is a rendering of the completed dam, developed by the construction management team, Parsons/Black & Veatch Joint Venture. The dam will be stained to help it blend in with its surroundings.
 
Videos

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PUBLICATIONS
 
Fact Sheet:
icon_pdf.pngSan Vicente Dam Raise Fact Sheet

 

Historic and Cultural Setting of San Vicente
The San Vicente area is rich in prehistoric and historic resources, and some of these will be under water when the dam raise is complete. The interpretive panels below, describing past inhabitants of San Vicente, will be incorporated into the new marina when construction is complete. Through these displays, the public has the opportunity to learn more about the cultural heritage of the San Vicente area. 
Kumeyaay Territory Click here for larger image.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Town of Foster
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San Vicente Dam
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To learn more about the Water Authority’s work to document these historic and cultural sites for future posterity, click here to view the Public Interpretive Program.

 

Cross Section of San Vicente Dam Raise
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San Vicente Reservoir Highwater Marks
icon_pdf.png  Printable Version 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH
 

Recreation at San Vicente Reservoir

San Vicente Reservoir  is owned and operated by the city of San Diego. To assure public safety during construction, the reservoir is closed to boating, fishing, and all other water recreation. San Vicente Reservoir will reopen to recreation after construction sometime between 2014 and 2017, as soon as the water level reaches the boat launch ramp at the new marina. The amount of time needed to refill the reservoir will depend on water supply and demand.

The new marina will feature many new improvements once the reservoir is reopened. The Water Authority will improve the reservoir's access road, making it wider and less steep. The boat ramp will be expanded and extended, and the size of the parking area will be increased. Additional shade trees and picnic areas at the marina will provide more options for recreational visitors to the reservoir.

For more information about recreational opportunities at other city reservoirs while San Vicente is closed, please visit the city of San Diego Lakes and Recreation web page at: www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/index.shtml.

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Meeting Summaries:
icon_pdf.pngJune 2010- Lakeside Community Planning Group Update
icon_pdf.pngFebruary 2010 - Lakeside Community Planning Group Update
icon_pdf.pngNovember 2009 - Lakeside Community Planning Group Update
icon_pdf.pngJuly 15, 2009 - Lakeside Community Planning Group Update
icon_pdf.pngJune 2009 - Lakeside Community Planning Group Update
icon_pdf.pngFeb.2009 - Lakeside Community Planning Group Update
icon_pdf.pngSept. 2008 - Lakeside Community Planning Group Update
icon_pdf.pngMay 21, 2008 - Lakeside Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngMay 14, 2008 - Lakeside Design Review Board
icon_pdf.pngFeb. 20, 2008 - Lakeside Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngOct. 17, 2007 - Lakeside Community Planning Group Update
icon_pdf.pngJune 11, 2007 - Valley Center Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngJune 6, 2007  - Lakeside Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngMay 2, 2007 - Lakeside Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngFeb. 21, 2007 - Lakeside Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngOct. 18, 2006 - Lakeside Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngOct. 16, 2006 - Valley Center Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngSept. 20, 2006 - Lakeside Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngNov. 7, 2005 - Lakeside Chamber of Commerce
icon_pdf.pngNov. 2, 2005 - Lakeside Community Planning Group
icon_pdf.pngJuly 20, 2005 - Lakeside Community Planning Group
 

 

 

 

Information Updates:
icon_pdf.pngApril 2010 - Construction and Nightwork Update to Muth Valley
icon_pdf.pngFebruary 2010 - San Vicente Construction and Schedule Update
icon_pdf.pngSeptember 2009 - San Vicente Dam Raise Construction Update Postcard
icon_pdf.pngJuly 15, 2009 - Start of Construction & Blasting Letter
icon_pdf.pngJune 2009 - Dam Raise Construction Start Postcard
icon_pdf.pngFebruary 2009 - San Vicente Dam Raise Construction Update Email
icon_pdf.pngAugust 2008 - San Vicente Reservoir Closing
icon_pdf.pngApril 2008 - Reservoir Summer Schedule Postcard
icon_pdf.pngApril 11, 2008 - Final EIR/EIS Community Notification Letter
icon_pdf.pngSeptember 2007 - Reservoir Closure Update Postcard
icon_pdf.pngAug. 27, 2007 - EIR/EIS Community Notice of Availability Letter
icon_pdf.pngApril 2007 - Reservoir Summer Schedule Returns
icon_pdf.pngSeptember 2007 - Reservoir Closure Update Postcard
icon_pdf.pngAug. 27, 2007 - EIR/EIS Community Notice of Availability Letter
icon_pdf.pngApril 2007 - Reservoir Summer Schedule Returns
icon_pdf.pngDec. 1, 2006 - San Vicente Reservoir Closure Update Letter
icon_pdf.pngDec. 2006 - Reservoir Closure Update Postcard
icon_pdf.pngOct. 10, 2006 - EIR/EIS Community Update Letter
icon_pdf.pngSeptember 2007 - Reservoir Closure Update Postcard
icon_pdf.pngAug. 27, 2007 - EIR/EIS Community Notice of Availability Letter
icon_pdf.pngApril 2007 - Reservoir Summer Schedule Returns  

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ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS
 

Click here to view the environmental studies, which were completed in 2008.

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CONTACT INFORMATION
 

For more information, please call the 24-hour toll-free project information line at (877) 682-9283, ext. 7001, or email espinfo@sdcwa.org. A representative from the project team will return your inquiry within one business day.

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