Seven Oaks Dam
| Seven Oaks Dam | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Location | San Bernardino National Forest, San Bernardino County, near Mentone, California |
| Coordinates | 34°07′02″N 117°06′00″W / 34.11722°N 117.10000°W |
| Construction began | 1993 |
| Opening date | 2000 |
| Construction cost | $450 million |
| Owner(s) | Orange County Flood Control District, San Bernardino County Flood Control District |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment |
| Impounds | Santa Ana River |
| Height | 550 ft (170 m) |
| Length | 2,980 ft (910 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Seven Oaks Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 145,600 acre⋅ft (0.1796 km3) |
| Catchment area | 176 sq mi (460 km2) |
| Surface area | 780 acres (320 ha) (max) |
| Normal elevation | 2,604.4 ft (793.8 m) (max) |
Seven Oaks Dam is a 550-foot (170 m) high earth and rock fill embankment dam across the Santa Ana River in the San Bernardino Mountains, about 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Redlands in San Bernardino County, southern California. It impounds Seven Oaks Reservoir in the San Bernardino National Forest.
The dam was proposed in response to major floods in the mid–20th century, and was constructed between 1993 and 2000. Seven Oaks is a dry dam that serves mainly for flood protection to Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, although it also used to impound water for groundwater recharge. One of the largest embankment dams in the United States, the dam was built under contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) by Odebrecht Corporation of California, a subsidiary of the Brazilian firm Contructora Norberto Odebrecht,. The dam is now owned and operated by local flood control districts.