Dam, Lakeside! San Vicente Reservoir Capacity to Double?

After it’s completed, the dam at San Vicente Reservoir, near Lakeside, will be the largest roller-compacted concrete dam-raise in the world. From the deep rock basin to the top of the dam, it will stand 337 feet tall.

The dam is being raised 117 feet above the existing 220-foot-tall structure, which was completed in 1943 to supply San Diego County. The additional height will reportedly double the capacity, creating storage for an additional 152,000 acre feet of water — “enough water to sustain 300,000 households in our region for about a year,” according to an informational video produced by the San Diego County Water Authority.

The project is close to reaching its final stages as far as the concrete is concerned. Concrete has been produced onsite, deposited, and then compacted in one-foot increments by rollers. There is still much detail work to be done prior to the estimated opening date in late 2017. The San Diego County Water Authority will be depending on Mother Nature to do its part in filling the reservoir.