News Release Archive

Reclamation Plans Corrective Action Study at Boca Dam

Media Contact: Pete Lucero, 916-978-5100, plucero@mp.usbr.gov

For Release: April 22, 2009

Based on recent dam safety evaluations, Reclamation is initiating a Corrective Action Study to identify and develop alternatives to strengthen Boca Dam and reduce the risk of earthquake damage. The dam is located in Nevada County, California, about 5 miles northeast of the city of Truckee, on the mouth of the Little Truckee River, near the confluence with the Truckee River.

Boca Dam is located in a seismically active area. Exploration and analyses indicate that foundation materials beneath the dam may be susceptible to loss of strength during a major earthquake. The loss of strength, known as liquefaction, could result in substantial consequences, although the possibility of dam failure is remote. Analyses also indicate the dams concrete spillway walls may have seismic deficiencies.

Boca Dam was completed in 1939 and has a height of 116 feet and a crest length of 1,630 feet. The dam provides flood protection for Reno and Sparks, Nevada. The dam creates Boca Reservoir that has a capacity of about 40,000 acre-feet. The reservoir is used to regulate the Truckee River and provide water for irrigation, recreation, fish and wildlife benefits, power generation, and drought supplies for municipal and industrial users in the Truckee Meadows. The dam is owned by Reclamation and operated and maintained by the Washoe County Water Conservation District.

For further information, please call Mr. Doug McElhinney at 916-978-5225, e-mail dmcelhinney@mp.usbr.gov, or e-mail Public Affairs Office staff ibr2mprpao@mp.usbr.gov.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.