Soda Lake

About Soda Lake

The primary purpose of Soda Lake 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 Granite Rock Company (private). It impounds the Tr Pajaro River near Watsonville.

The dam stands 44 feet tall and stretches 3,686 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 72 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,631 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1978, the structure is 48 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 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 11/07/2024.

At 44 feet, this dam is taller than 90% of dams nationwide.

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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