Eagle Canyon Debris Basin

About Eagle Canyon Debris Basin

The primary purpose of Eagle Canyon Debris Basin 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 Riverside County Flood Control And Water Conservation District (local government). It impounds the Eagle Canyon near Cathedral City.

The dam stands 60 feet tall and stretches 370 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 222 acre-feet. Completed in 2015, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 12/03/2025.

At 60 feet, this dam is taller than 95% 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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