Hydroelectric Dams in California
California has 174 hydroelectric dams, of which 97 carry a high hazard classification. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity.
| # | Dam | County | Height (ft) | Hazard | Condition | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Bullards Bar | Yuba | 645 | High | Satisfactory | 1970 |
| 2 | New Melones Dam | Calaveras | 625 | High | Not Available | 1979 |
| 3 | Shasta Dam | Shasta | 602 | High | Not Available | 1945 |
| 4 | Trinity Dam | Trinity | 538 | High | Not Available | 1962 |
| 5 | Union Valley | El Dorado | 455 | High | Satisfactory | 1962 |
| 6 | Mammoth Pool | Madera | 411 | High | Satisfactory | 1960 |
| 7 | San Gabriel | Los Angeles | 381 | High | Satisfactory | 1937 |
| 8 | Salt Springs | Calaveras | 328 | High | Satisfactory | 1931 |
| 9 | Donnells | Tuolumne | 317 | High | Satisfactory | 1958 |
| 10 | Courtright | Fresno | 315 | High | Satisfactory | 1958 |
| 11 | Sly Creek | Butte | 299 | High | Satisfactory | 1961 |
| 12 | Beardsley | Tuolumne | 284 | High | Fair | 1957 |
| 13 | New Spicer Meadow | Tuolumne | 265 | High | Satisfactory | 1989 |
| 14 | Nacimiento | San Luis Obispo | 255 | High | Poor | 1956 |
| 15 | Mccloud | Shasta | 255 | High | Fair | 1965 |
| 16 | Slab Creek | El Dorado | 250 | High | Satisfactory | 1967 |
| 17 | Big Creek Dam No. 7 | Madera | 250 | High | Satisfactory | 1951 |
| 18 | Lower Bear | Amador | 245 | High | Satisfactory | 1952 |
| 19 | Mckays Point Diversion | Tuolumne | 242 | Significant | Satisfactory | 1989 |
| 20 | Pit No. 7 Diversion | Shasta | 228 | High | Satisfactory | 1965 |
| 21 | Iron Canyon | Shasta | 214 | High | Satisfactory | 1965 |
| 22 | Brush Creek | El Dorado | 213 | Significant | Satisfactory | 1970 |
| 23 | Little Grass Valley | Plumas | 210 | High | Satisfactory | 1961 |
| 24 | Tulloch | Calaveras | 205 | High | Satisfactory | 1958 |
| 25 | Pit No. 6 Diversion | Shasta | 195 | High | Satisfactory | 1965 |
| 26 | Junction | El Dorado | 168 | Significant | Satisfactory | 1962 |
| 27 | Balch Afterbay | Fresno | 165 | High | Satisfactory | 1928 |
| 28 | Big Creek Dam No. 3 | Fresno | 165 | High | Satisfactory | 1913 |
| 29 | Vermilion Valley | Fresno | 165 | High | Poor | 1954 |
| 30 | Ponderosa | Butte | 160 | Low | Satisfactory | 1962 |
| 31 | Big Creek Dam No. 6 | Madera | 155 | High | Satisfactory | 1923 |
| 32 | Ice House Main | El Dorado | 152 | High | Fair | 1959 |
| 33 | Belden Forebay | Plumas | 152 | High | Fair | 1958 |
| 34 | Florence Lake | Fresno | 149 | High | Fair | 1926 |
| 35 | Crane Valley | Madera | 145 | High | Fair | 1910 |
| 36 | Lake Fordyce | Nevada | 145 | High | Poor | 1873 |
| 37 | Strawberry | Tuolumne | 143 | High | Fair | 1916 |
| 38 | Relief | Tuolumne | 140 | High | Poor | 1909 |
| 39 | Scott | Lake | 138 | High | Fair | 1921 |
| 40 | Tabeaud | Amador | 136 | High | Poor | 1901 |
| 41 | Balch Diversion | Fresno | 135 | High | Satisfactory | 1927 |
| 42 | Lake Almanor | Plumas | 135 | High | Fair | 1927 |
| 43 | Pit No. 3 Diversion | Shasta | 135 | High | Satisfactory | 1925 |
| 44 | Camino | El Dorado | 133 | Low | Satisfactory | 1961 |
| 45 | Lyons | Tuolumne | 132 | High | Satisfactory | 1930 |
| 46 | Chili Bar | El Dorado | 126 | High | Fair | 1964 |
| 47 | Rock Creek | Plumas | 126 | High | Satisfactory | 1950 |
| 48 | Bucks Lake | Plumas | 123 | High | Satisfactory | 1928 |
| 49 | Lost Creek | Butte | 122 | High | Fair | 1924 |
| 50 | Tiger Creek Afterbay | Amador | 120 | High | Fair | 1931 |
| 51 | Boca Dam | Nevada | 116 | High | Not Available | 1939 |
| 52 | Tiger Creek Regulator | Amador | 115 | Significant | Fair | 1931 |
| 53 | Kerckhoff | Madera | 114 | Low | Satisfactory | 1920 |
| 54 | Cresta | Plumas | 113 | High | Satisfactory | 1949 |
| 55 | Cpud Middle Fork | Calaveras | 112 | High | Satisfactory | 1939 |
| 56 | Pit No. 4 Diversion | Shasta | 110 | High | Satisfactory | 1927 |
| 57 | Loon Lake Auxiliary | El Dorado | 102 | Significant | Satisfactory | 1963 |
| 58 | Drum Afterbay | Placer | 102 | Low | Satisfactory | 1968 |
| 59 | Lower Bucks Lake | Plumas | 99 | High | Fair | 1928 |
| 60 | Grizzly Forebay | Plumas | 98 | High | Satisfactory | 1928 |
| 61 | Mcswain | Mariposa | 97 | High | Fair | 1966 |
| 62 | Exchequer Dike | Mariposa | 97 | High | Satisfactory | 1966 |
| 63 | Thermalito Forebay | Butte | 91 | High | Satisfactory | 1967 |
| 64 | El Dorado Forebay | El Dorado | 91 | High | Fair | 1923 |
| 65 | Miner's Ranch | Butte | 90 | High | Satisfactory | 1962 |
| 66 | Hillside | Inyo | 82 | High | Satisfactory | 1910 |
| 67 | Forbestown Diversion | Butte | 81 | Low | Satisfactory | 1962 |
| 68 | Poe | Butte | 80 | Low | Satisfactory | 1958 |
| 69 | Gem Lake | Mono | 80 | High | Poor | 1917 |
| 70 | Butt Valley | Plumas | 80 | High | Satisfactory | 1924 |
| 71 | Upper Bear | Amador | 77 | High | Satisfactory | 1900 |
| 72 | Big Creek Dam No. 4 | Fresno | 75 | Low | Satisfactory | 1913 |
| 73 | Meadow Lake | Alpine | 74 | Low | Satisfactory | 1903 |
| 74 | Gerle Creek | El Dorado | 74 | Low | Satisfactory | 1962 |
| 75 | Pit No. 5 Open Conduit | Shasta | 71 | High | Fair | 1944 |
| 76 | Sabrina | Inyo | 70 | High | Fair | 1908 |
| 77 | Slate Creek | Plumas | 70 | Low | Satisfactory | 1961 |
| 78 | Whiskeytown Dike 2 | Shasta | 70 | High | Not Available | 1963 |
| 79 | Murphys Forebay West | Calaveras | 67 | High | Satisfactory | 1953 |
| 80 | Drum Forebay | Placer | 65 | High | Satisfactory | 1913 |
| 81 | Mono Creek Diversion | Fresno | 64 | Low | Satisfactory | 1927 |
| 82 | Cape Horn | Mendocino | 63 | High | Fair | 1907 |
| 83 | Big Creek Dam No. 5 | Fresno | 60 | Significant | Satisfactory | 1921 |
| 84 | South Fork Diversion | Plumas | 60 | Low | Satisfactory | 1961 |
| 85 | Hunters | Calaveras | 59 | High | Satisfactory | 1927 |
| 86 | Pit No. 5 Diversion | Shasta | 58 | Low | Satisfactory | 1944 |
| 87 | Bear Creek Diversion | Fresno | 55 | Low | Satisfactory | 1927 |
| 88 | Halsey Forebay No. 2 | Placer | 55 | Significant | Satisfactory | 1913 |
| 89 | Stanislaus Forebay East | Tuolumne | 55 | Low | Satisfactory | 1908 |
| 90 | Beaver Creek Diversion | Tuolumne | 54 | Low | Satisfactory | 1989 |
| 91 | North Fork Diversion | Alpine | 53 | Low | Satisfactory | 1989 |
| 92 | De Sabla Forebay | Butte | 52 | Low | Satisfactory | 1962 |
| 93 | Robbs Peak | El Dorado | 50 | Low | Satisfactory | 1963 |
| 94 | Rush Meadows | Mono | 50 | High | Poor | 1925 |
| 95 | Lundy Lake | Mono | 48 | High | Satisfactory | 1911 |
| 96 | Pit No. 1 Forebay | Shasta | 47 | High | Fair | 1947 |
| 97 | North Battle Creek | Shasta | 47 | High | Satisfactory | 1909 |
| 98 | Electra Diversion | Amador | 45 | Low | Satisfactory | |
| 99 | Saddlebag Lake | Mono | 45 | High | Satisfactory | 1921 |
| 100 | Ross | Calaveras | 44 | Low | Satisfactory | 1892 |