Steps have been underway for the last several years to ensure Scotts Flat Dam can withstand even the worst-possible high water situation. Since its construction in the 1940’s, the spillway has experienced repetitive cracking on the chute slabs. And then, in early 2017, there was even more severe damage from winter storms. The Nevada Irrigation District quickly repaired the damage. But, since the California Division of Safety of Dams downgraded its condition from “satisfactory” to “fair”, in 2019, Assistant NID General Manager Greg Jones says they’re now getting ready to design a more ambitious upgrade…

click to listen to Greg Jones

At Wednesday’s NID Board meeting, directors are expected to approve a one-point-four million dollar contract just to come up with design. Jones says construction costs will run in the tens of millions of dollars…

click to listen to Greg Jones

The District says it was found that the existing spillway chute and the low plunge pool downstream were deficient to handle the flow of a probable maximum flood. So there are major unknowns regarding flow patterns and behaviors.