Cherry Valley

About Cherry Valley

Cherry Valley is a dam in Tuolumne, California. The dam is owned by San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (local government). It impounds the Cherry Creek near Waterford.

The dam stands 315 feet tall and stretches 2,630 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,535 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 273,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 114 square miles. Completed in 1956, 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. 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 10/07/2025.

At 315 feet, this dam is taller than 99% 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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