Fancher Creek Detention

About Fancher Creek Detention

The primary purpose of Fancher Creek Detention is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District (public utility). It impounds the Fancher Creek near Fresno.

The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 2,860 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 206 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,891 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 60 square miles. Completed in 2006, the structure is relatively new.

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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/11/2024.

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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