Lake Wohlford

About Lake Wohlford

The primary purpose of Lake Wohlford is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by City Of Escondido (local government). It impounds the Escondido Creek near Escondido.

The dam stands 100 feet tall and stretches 422 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 225 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,950 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 8 square miles. Completed in 1924, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/21/2024.

At 100 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

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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