Dam Safety 2023: Field Trip - Morris and San Gabriel Dam Tour


Dam Safety 2023: Field Trip - Morris and San Gabriel Dam Tour

When:  Thursday, September 21, 2023 • 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM PST

Registration Fee:  $95 (Registration fee includes transportation to and from the convention center along with lunch)

Morris Dam is a concrete gravity dam across the San Gabriel River in the U.S. state of California. It impounds Morris Reservoir, directly downstream of San Gabriel Dam. The dam was built in the 1930s as a water supply facility for the city of Pasadena, but is now mostly utilized for flood control and flow regulation for groundwater recharge. Situated in northern Los Angeles County, the dam impounds the 417-acre (169 ha) Morris Reservoir in the Angeles National Forest, a few miles northeast of Azusa. From the 1940s to the 1990s, the reservoir was also used for underwater missile testing by the United States military. Morris Dam was recently designated by ASCE as National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. In September, they will be impounding a reservoir at the site.

San Gabriel Dam is a rock-fill dam on the San Gabriel River in Los Angeles County, California, within the Angeles National Forest. Completed in 1939, the dam impounds the main stem of the San Gabriel River about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) downstream from the confluence of the river's East and West Forks, which drain a large portion of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is located directly upstream from the Morris Dam. The dam provides flood control, groundwater recharge flows, and hydroelectricity for the heavily populated San Gabriel Valley in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. During this time, a reservoir sediment removal project will be ongoing and participants will be able to see dewatering system and sediment removal activities from crest of dam. 

This is a full-day trip that will depart at 8:30 am and return at an estimated time of 5:00 pm. The registration fee includes transportation to and from the convention center along with lunch. All participants are required to ride the bus to and from the site. Hard hats, safety vests, and close-toed shoes will be required of participants. Participants will be required to sign a waiver.