11Total Dams
6High Hazard
2Significant
Dam Safety in Merced County, California
Merced County has 11 dams tracked in the National Inventory of Dams. Of these, 6 are classified as high hazard — meaning failure would probably cause loss of human life. Another 2 carry a significant hazard classification.
The average dam in Merced County is 88 years old. The most common purpose is flood risk reduction. The tallest dam is Los Banos Creek Detention Dam at 167 ft.
Explore more: Oldest dams in California · Tallest dams · High risk dams · Largest reservoirs
| Dam | Hazard | Condition | Height (ft) | Purpose | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Banos Creek Detention Dam | High | Not assessed | 167 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1965 |
| Burns Dam | High | Not assessed | 65 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1950 |
| Lake Yosemite | High | Satisfactory | 53 | Water Supply | 1888 |
| Merced Falls | High | Fair | 43 | Hydroelectric | 1901 |
| Castle | High | Satisfactory | 40 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1991 |
| B.f. Sisk Dike | High | Not assessed | 30 | Hydroelectric | 1967 |
| Kelsey | Significant | Satisfactory | 28 | Water Supply | 1929 |
| Mustang Creek | Significant | Satisfactory | 18 | Flood Risk Reduction | 1975 |
| Crocker Diversion | Low | Satisfactory | 22 | Other | 1910 |
| O'neill Forebay Dike | Low | Not assessed | 20 | Hydroelectric | 1967 |
| Sierra Vista | Low | Satisfactory | 12 | Other | 1872 |