California is home to about 1,400 dams – including the fifth-tallest dam in the United States – and nearly as many man-made reservoirs. As one of the most drought-stricken states in the country, California relies heavily on its dams for its water supply, irrigation, flood control, water quality and energy. The state's tallest dams meet or exceed 550 feet in height.
At 770 feet, the Oroville Dam stands as the fifth-tallest in the United States. It's located on the Feather River in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, and it serves areas even hundreds of miles from the dam, including Central and Southern California. Oroville Dam's primary role is to provide irrigation water, flood control and power – about 3 billion kilowatt hours of it.
Located in Yuba County, the New Bullards Bar Dam stores nearly 1 million acre feet of water from the North and Middle Yuba rivers, as well as Oregon Creek. It stands at a whopping 635 feet tall, and it provides flood control in addition to water storage for irrigation and power generation. The reservoir created by the dam is also used as a recreation area, influencing downstream river temperatures that enhance fishing conditions.
You'll find California's third-tallest dam just a few miles north of Sonora. It was constructed as part of a water provision project for California's Central Valley, and it contributes to flood control, irrigation, power, wildlife and fishery enhancement, recreation and water quality in the area. The New Melones Dam is 578 feet tall, and the reservoir it creates attracts around 800,000 visitors each year to participate in recreational activities including boating, camping, hiking, biking and horseback riding.
When it was initially constructed in 1923, the dam at the New Don Pedro Reservoir was the tallest dam in the world. Now, it's only the fourth-tallest in California, standing at a height of 568 feet. Its main roles are water storage and flood control, and the reservoir it creates is actually the sixth-largest body of water in California.
You'll find the Seven Oaks Dam on the Santa Ana River in Highland, California, about a mile upstream from the mouth of the Santa Ana Canyon. The dam reaches 550 feet at its tallest point, and it's part of the Santa Ana River Mainstream Project, which also includes the Prado Dam. The project provides flood protection for 2 million people and hundreds of square miles of land in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Swanston, Brenna. "5 Largest Dams in California." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/5-largest-dams-california-103883.html. 15 March 2018.