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Sweetwater Dam, Spring Valley, California

Designed by James D. Schuyler and completed in 1888 to a height of 90 feet, this was once the tallest masonry arch dam in the United States,

and it served as a model for many others. The dam has survived three

overtoppings, and the water impounded by it has enabled economicdevelopment of the National City, Chula Vista, and Bonita region.

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Sweetwater Dam, Spring Valley, California

When completed in 1888 to a height of 90 feet, Sweetwater Dam was once the tallestmasonry arch dam in the United States, and it led to many others of the same basic

design. The original construction began in November 1886 under the direction of Frank E. Brown (civil engineer for Bear Valley Dam) with the rubble-masonry thin-arch design

 being 50 feet in height. Subsequently, the owner of the water system called upon civil

engineer James D. Schuyler to continue and complete the project. Although the field of 

hydrology was very new and not fully understood at the time, Mr. Schuyler determinedthat the area of the watershed tributary to the dam, at about 186 square miles, justified a

higher structure that would increase the reservoir capacity by five times the original

design. He noted that the height change from 50 to 90 feet and the change to a gravityarch design now relied on the arch design for its “factor of safety”, but felt confident with

the foundation and construction methods. There were subsequent modifications after thedam’s original completion, which were completed under the direction of Schuyler andcivil engineer Hiram N. Savage. Since its original completion, Sweetwater Dam has

experienced unprecedented flood flows that overtopped the center crest three times

(1895, 1909, and 1916). Sweetwater Dam now stands 127 feet high with a crest length of 700 feet that provides over 27,000 acre-feet of water for domestic and irrigation use.

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H&H Database

Sweetwater Dam, Spring Valley, California

When completed in 1888 to a height of 90 feet, Sweetwater Dam was once the tallest

masonry arch dam in the United States, and it led to many others of the same basicdesign. The original construction began in November 1886 under the direction of Frank 

E. Brown (civil engineer for Bear Valley Dam) with the rubble-masonry thin-arch design

 being 50 feet in height. Subsequently, the owner of the water system called upon civil

engineer James D. Schuyler to continue and complete the project. Although the field of 

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hydrology was very new and not fully understood at the time, Mr. Schuyler determined

that the area of the watershed tributary to the dam, at about 186 square miles, justified a

higher structure that would increase the reservoir capacity by five times the originaldesign. He noted that the height change from 50 to 90 feet and the change to a gravity

arch design now relied on the arch design for its “factor of safety”, but felt confident with

the foundation and construction methods. The volume of water expected to be stored was18,636 acre-feet. There were subsequent modifications after the dam’s original

completion, with the majority completed by 1940. The major modifications were

completed under the direction of Schuyler and civil engineer Hiram N. Savage.

Since its original completion, Sweetwater Dam has experienced unprecedented flood

flows that overtopped the center crest three times (1895, 1909, and 1916). The 1916

flood event measured the runoff at nine times the spillway capacity with depth of flownearly four feet over the center crest. During the 1916 flood event, damage did occur to

the side spillways, but the main dam was not damaged.

In 2005, after 117 years of service, this dam was still serving its original purpose of storing water for domestic and irrigation use by the citizens of National City, Chula

Vista, and Bonita. Sweetwater Dam now stands 127 feet high with a crest length of 700feet that provides over 27,000 acre-feet of storage for local and imported (via San Diego

County Water Authority) water. This is a one-year water supply for the entire service

area population of nearly 177,000 people. This dam is a testament to its gravity-arch

design, the construction materials and techniques of the era, and the design andconstruction engineers who worked on it.

Additional information on Sweetwater Dam can be obtained from the followingreferences:

1. “The Construction of Sweetwater Dam”, by James D. Schuyler, ASCE TransactionsVol. XIX, November 1888.

2. “Development of Dam Engineering in the United States”, Eric B. Kollgaard andWallace L. Chadwick, Editors; Chapter 3, by Jan A. Veltrop, for the Unites States

Committee of the International Commission on Large Dams, 1988.

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