Big Pine Creek

About Big Pine Creek

The primary purpose of Big Pine Creek 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 Los Angeles Department Of Water And Power (local government). It impounds the Big Pine Creek near Big Pine.

The dam stands 14 feet tall and stretches 50 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 35 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,071 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 7 square miles.

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 10/09/2025.

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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