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Santa Anita Dam Spillway Modification

Design for important dam maintenance

  • San Gabriel Mountains, California

    San Gabriel Mountains, California

Updating a critical resource for Southern California communities

Though California’s dam reservoirs may be low today, conditions can rapidly change. For dams, preparedness and maintenance are the top priorities for public safety and efficient operations. To comply with the California Department of Water Resources Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) requirement to safely pass the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) without overtopping the dam, we provided consulting and design services to Los Angeles County Public Works for the Santa Anita Dam Spillway Modification Project. Major components of this project include a new spillway, re-armoring of the downstream slopes of the new spillway, replacing three flood control valves and three backup valves, a new cableway hoist, construction of a new helipad for emergency access, and other improvements to the dam’s electrical, water, mechanical, and control systems.

Located within a steep-walled canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains, a winding, single-lane road provides the sole access to the dam. Project scheduling was carefully analyzed to account for construction access limitations, and all construction activities were scheduled to maximize the usage of the road to achieve efficient progress.

With the successful completion of this project, the new spillway significantly reduces flood risk to downstream communities and allows continued use of stormwater storage in the Santa Anita Reservoir for water conservation operations in arid Southern California.

At a Glance

Offices
Client
  • LA County Flood Control District
Award
Association of State Dam Safety Officials, National Rehabilitation Project of the Year, 2022
Meet Our Team

Vik Iso-Ahola , Vice President, Energy

I’m passionate about leading teams to solve the largest, most complex water infrastructure projects—and our Company does that every day.

Mohammadreza Mostafa, Principal, Structural Engineer

We always face challenges since each project has its own complexities and unknowns. Solutions may not be found in guidelines or precedents.

Glenn S. Tarbox, Senior Vice President, Energy

I always enjoy my work, but I truly love the everyday relationships I’ve been fortunate enough to create over the years—it drives me every day.

Vik Iso-Ahola

Vice President, Energy

Mohammadreza Mostafa

Principal, Structural Engineer

Glenn S. Tarbox

Senior Vice President, Energy

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