Upper San Fernando

Upper San Fernando is an earth dam located in Los Angeles County, California, built in 1921. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Upper San Fernando

Upper San Fernando is a dam in Los Angeles, California. The dam is owned by City Of Los Angeles Department Of Water And Power (local government). It impounds the San Fernando Cr.

The dam stands 82 feet tall and stretches 1,740 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 78 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,848 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1921, the structure is over a century old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 11/03/2025.

At 82 feet, this dam is taller than 97% of all dams in the United States.

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Low HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: No

Location

StateCalifornia
CountyLos Angeles
River/StreamSan Fernando Cr
Coordinates34.30280, -118.49360

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height82 ft
Dam Height82 ft
Dam Length1,740 ft
Year Completed1921 (105 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage1,848 acre-ft
Max Storage1,848 acre-ft
Surface Area78 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi

Ownership & Safety

PurposeOther
OwnerCity of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection11/03/2025
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDCA00086
Federal IDCA00086
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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