Santa Maria

Santa Maria is an earth dam located in San Diego County, California, built in 1995. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Santa Maria

The primary purpose of Santa Maria 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 Ramona Municipal Water District (public utility). It impounds the Offstream near N/a.

The dam stands 25 feet tall and stretches 2,240 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 20 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 217 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1995, the structure is 31 years 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/04/2024.

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.

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

High HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateCalifornia
CountySan Diego
Nearest CityN/a
River/StreamOffstream
Coordinates33.05060, -116.94450

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height25 ft
Dam Height25 ft
Dam Length2,240 ft
Year Completed1995 (31 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage217 acre-ft
Max Storage217 acre-ft
Surface Area20 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi

Ownership & Safety

PurposeWater Supply
OwnerRamona Municipal Water District
Owner TypePublic Utility
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection09/04/2024
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDCA01354
Federal IDCA01354
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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