Grizzly Creek

About Grizzly Creek

Grizzly Creek is a dam in Plumas, California. The dam is owned by Jared Stein (private). It impounds the Big Grizzly Cr near Portola.

The dam stands 39 feet tall and stretches 163 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 11 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 140 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 50 square miles. Completed in 1915, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/24/2025.

At 39 feet, this dam is taller than 86% of dams nationwide.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The California dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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