Early Intake
Early Intake is an arch dam located in Tuolumne County, California, built in 1925. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Early Intake
Early Intake is a dam in Tuolumne, California. The dam is owned by San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (local government). It impounds the Tuolumne River.
The dam stands 56 feet tall and stretches 262 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 115 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 488 square miles. Completed in 1925, the structure is over a century old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 10/06/2025.
At 56 feet, this dam is taller than 94% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | California |
| County | Tuolumne |
| River/Stream | Tuolumne River |
| Coordinates | 37.87550, -119.95690 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Arch |
| NID Height | 56 ft |
| Dam Height | 56 ft |
| Dam Length | 262 ft |
| Year Completed | 1925 (101 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 115 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 115 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 7 acres |
| Drainage Area | 488 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | San Francisco Public Utilities Commission |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 10/06/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | CA00120 |
| Federal ID | CA00120 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |