Little Panoche Detention

About Little Panoche Detention

The primary purpose of Little Panoche 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 Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Little Panoche Creek near Oro Loma.

The dam stands 151 feet tall and stretches 1,440 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 188 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 13,240 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 83 square miles. Completed in 1966, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/04/2020.

At 151 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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