Bradbury Dam

34°34′58″N 119°58′50″W / 34.58278°N 119.98056°W / 34.58278; -119.98056Construction began1950; 74 years ago (1950)Opening date1953; 71 years ago (1953)Owner(s)U.S. Bureau of ReclamationDam and spillwaysType of damearthfillImpoundsSanta Ynez RiverHeight279 ft (85 m)Length2,850 ft (870 m)Elevation at crest766 ft (233 m)Dam volume6,695,000 cu yd (5,119,000 m³)SpillwaysGate-controlled concrete chuteSpillway capacity161,000 cu ft/s (4,600 m³/s)ReservoirCreatesCachuma LakeTotal capacity205,000 acre⋅ft (253,000,000 m³)Catchment area417 sq mi (1,080 km²)Surface area3,250 acres (1,320 ha)Normal elevation750 ft (230 m)Power StationHydraulic head206 ft (63 m)Installed capacityNone

Bradbury Dam is an earthen dam across the Santa Ynez River in central Santa Barbara County, California. The dam forms Lake Cachuma, which provides the majority of water supplies within the county.

Although the Santa Ynez can reach massive flows in the winter, it usually dries up for several months of the year in the summer. A large storage facility to catch winter floodwaters for use in the summer and autumn was desperately needed by the growing population of the region, especially that of south coast cities like Santa Barbara and Carpinteria. Even before Bradbury Dam was considered, the Gibraltar Dam was built upstream to divert water through a tunnel to the city of Santa Barbara. However, that dam was plagued by siltation and was unable to fully serve the water requirements of the city.^[1]

Construction on Bradbury Dam started in 1950 as part of a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation scheme called the Cachuma Project, intended to provide long-term water storage and delivery to Santa Barbara and other cities throughout the region as well as provide water for irrigation. Originally named the Cachuma Dam upon completion in 1953, the name was changed in 1971 to honor C. W. "Brad" Bradbury, a local water supply proponent.^[2][3]

See also

• List of dams and reservoirs in California

References