Searsville

About Searsville

The primary purpose of Searsville 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 Stanford University Board Of Trustees (private). It impounds the Corte Madera Cr near Palo Alto & Menlo Park.

The dam stands 68 feet tall and stretches 260 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 90 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,840 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 14 square miles. Completed in 1890, the structure is over a century 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 09/18/2024.

At 68 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 California dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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