Reservoirs

Seven major stream systems originate in the mountains of San Diego County and drain to the Pacific Ocean. Runoff from these seven watersheds supplies 24 reservoirs that have a combined capacity of about 744,000 acre-feet.

The last major increase in regional water storage capacity was in 2014 when then San Vicente Dam Raise was completed, adding 157,000 acre-feet of capacity. While the region’s reservoirs were built mainly as water supply projects, many of them also provide other benefits such as recreation and flood reduction.

Since the major statewide drought of 1976-1977, annual surface water use from local reservoirs has ranged from 4,100 acre-feet in fiscal year 2015 to 140,300 acre-feet in fiscal year 1984. Over the past two decades, annual local surface water use has averaged approximately 60,000 acre-feet, or about 10 percent of the region’s average total annual water use.

Map of San Diego County Reservoirs

icon_pdf.pngLocal Rainfall and Reservoirs Fact Sheet

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Reservoirs

Local reservoir storage, in acre-feet, for Water Authority member agencies - As of August 14, 2017

Agency Reservoir Capacity (AF) Storage (AF) % of Capacity Change from Year Earlier (AF) Change from Month Earlier (AF)
Carlsbad M.W.D. Maerkle 600 58 10 41 (62)
Escondido, City of Dixon 2,606 2,509 96 150 (14)
Escondido, City of Wohlford 6,506 2,006 31 (156) (144)
Fallbrook P.U.D. Red Mountain 1,335 493 37 57 (135)
Helix W.D. Cuyamaca 8,195 726 9 90 (63)
Helix W.D. Jennings 9,790 7,956 81 417 (838)
Poway, City of Poway 3,330 2,443 73 (689) (17)
Rainbow M.W.D. Morro Hill 465 220 47 80 (58)
Ramona M.W.D. Ramona 12,000 2,287 19 (251) (187)
San Diego County Water Authority Olivenhain 24,774 18,945 76 (1,342) (67)
San Diego, City of Barrett 34,806 12,648 36 10,706 (227)
San Diego, City of El Capitan 112,807 42,104 37 17,919 (1,759)
San Diego, City of Hodges 30,633 17,922 59 6,814 (1,648)
San Diego, City of Lower Otay 47,067 45,419 96 9,168 196
San Diego, City of Miramar 6,682 5,535 83 97 (172)
San Diego, City of Morena 50,694 4,171 8 3,053 (402)
San Diego, City of Murray 4,684 4,075 87 191 (46)
San Diego, City of San Vicente 249,358 191,635 77 8,510 (509)
San Diego, City of Sutherland 29,508 13,833 47 11,587 (199)
San Dieguito W.D. San Dieguito 883 649 73 289 (6)
Sweetwater Authority Loveland 25,400 14,122 56 6,906 (121)
Sweetwater Authority Sweetwater 28,079 12,849 46 9,835 (655)
Valley Center M.W.D. Turner 1,612 1,507 93 382 (105)
Vista I.D. Henshaw 51,774 8,800 17 5,788 (1,777)
Totals   743,588 412,912 56 89,642 (9,015)

Date generated: 08/16/2017

Note: Each reservoir’s change in storage level is a function of its unique operational characteristics, which may include movement of imported and local water supplies in and out of the reservoir as well as surface water capture from local rainfall.