Mathews Canyon Dam

About Mathews Canyon Dam

The primary purpose of Mathews Canyon Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Usace - Los Angeles District (federal). It impounds the Mathews Canyon near Caliente.

The dam stands 71 feet tall and stretches 806 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 12,420 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 34 square miles. Completed in 1957, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/25/2025.

At 71 feet, this dam is taller than 96% 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 Nevada dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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