Meadow Lake

Meadow Lake is a rockfill dam located in Alpine County, California, built in 1903. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Meadow Lake

The primary purpose of Meadow Lake is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by Pacific Gas And Electric Company (private). It impounds the North Fork Mokelumne River-tr near Kirkwood.

The dam stands 74 feet tall and stretches 775 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 250 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 4,935 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1903, 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/20/2019.

At 74 feet, this dam is taller than 97% of all dams in the United States.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.

Low HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateCalifornia
CountyAlpine
Nearest CityKirkwood
River/StreamNorth Fork Mokelumne River-tr
Coordinates38.60012, -119.97648

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeRockfill
NID Height74 ft
Dam Height74 ft
Dam Length775 ft
Year Completed1903 (123 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage5,660 acre-ft
Max Storage4,935 acre-ft
Normal Storage5,660 acre-ft
Surface Area250 acres
Drainage Area2 sq mi
Max Discharge570 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeHydroelectric
OwnerPacific Gas and Electric Company
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection08/20/2019
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDCA00381
Federal IDCA00381
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

Nearby Dams