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Directors told Santa Felicia Dam bond will be on November ballot; chair flags earthquake and spillway concerns
Summary
A board member said a Santa Felicia Dam improvement bond will be on the November ballot and that bond proponents will present to the agency; Chair Thomas warned the earthen Santa Felicia Dam that holds back Piru Lake could be at risk in a magnitude-7.2 earthquake and that the spillway may not handle extreme flooding.
A board member notified colleagues July 20 that the water issues committee will host a discussion of a Santa Felicia Dam improvement bond measure, which will appear on the November ballot. The board is coordinating with bond proponents to have a presentation at a future PHWA meeting so members and the public can be briefed prior to voting.
Chair Thomas summarized key dam-safety concerns he heard at a June committee meeting: the Santa Felicia Dam is an earthen dam that holds back Piru Lake and, in the chair's words, could fail if a magnitude 7.2 or greater earthquake occurred on a nearby fault. He also raised spillway capacity concerns, saying the spillway may be insufficient to handle extreme flooding observed in the past. "Supporting that bond could be very important for all of us to do," Thomas said, urging members to attend the upcoming presentation.
Staff said representatives for the bond will be asked to present at the next available meeting and that the agency will coordinate public-facing information ahead of the November ballot.
