BACKGROUND
IRWD and Serrano Water District (SWD), jointly referred to as the “Districts”, operate Irvine Lake. Originally constructed in 1933, Irvine Lake, which is formed by the Santiago Creek serves as a vital part of Orange County water infrastructure.
IRWD uses water from Irvine Lake for two purposes: 1) as a source of water for non-drinking purposes, such as irrigation uses, and 2) as a source of water for the Baker Water Treatment Plant, which produces drinking water for an estimated 85,000 homes in Orange County. SWD uses water from Irvine Lake to provide treated drinking water to its customers in the City of Villa Park and some parts of the City of Orange.
While Irvine Lake provides recreational benefits to the county, the primary purpose of the lake is to store water for the benefit of surrounding communities in Central and South Orange County.
THE PROBLEM
Beginning in 2017 and completed at the end of 2019, Irvine Ranch Water District and Serrano Water District undertook a comprehensive condition assessment of the nearly 90-year-old Santiago Creek Dam, along with its spillway and outlet tower. That assessment showed that while the dam is in good shape and was acceptable at the time of construction, it does not meet current design standards. The outlet tower and spillway is nearing the end of its useful life and could be replaced and upgraded to today’s seismic and safety standards
THE SOLUTION
The project will replace the current outlet tower and spillway at Irvine Lake/Santiago Creek Dam and restore Irvine Lake back to its full storage capacity. The project will be designed using a Risk Informed Decision Making process, that uses a rigorous, systematic, and thorough approach to dam safety that identifies and reduces risks. Incorporating RIDM into the project design is above and beyond the current standards required by the state and will yield an overall safer facility that will provide increased reliability for years to come.
THE DETAILS
Replace the existing outlet tower, which controls flow into and out of the reservoir, improve the regulation of flow and bolster the seismic performance of the structure.
The new outlet tower will be embedded in bedrock within the slope and include multiple intakes, creating increased efficiency and seismic stability.
Construct a new spillway structure with nearly three times the original capacity.
By increasing the spillway crest to 796 feet, 2 feet higher than the existing maximum water, it will increase the reservoir storage by roughly 3,700-acre feet, providing the opportunity for 1,600 acre-feet of additional water.
BENEFITS
Preserving and restoring local water supplies – The project will result in a significant amount of local water as a result of increased storage capacity, which will allow for more native water capture as opposed to purchasing expensive untreated water.
Increased water resiliency – The improvements at Irvine Lake will result in the additional storage capacity of 3,700-acre feet of water and ongoing opportunity for increased storage capacity in the future. This will result in enhanced water resiliency, allowing agencies to be less dependent on imported water.
Increased safety and reliability – The dam safety improvements, beyond the guidelines required by DSOD, will result in increased reliability into the future.
Improved efficiency and seismic performance – The new outlet tower will better control flow out of the reservoir and be designed for optimum seismic performance.
Promotes the well-being and security for the communities we serve – More than 1.5 million residents live in areas impacted, directly and indirectly, by the Santiago Creek Dam, and will benefit from the enhanced safety and seismic measures being implemented in the project.
TIMELINE
The project is estimated to take 3 years for completion
THERE IS A PROJECT SCOOPING MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MAY 16TH at 5:00 pm , at 15600 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine. To find our more please visit: https://www.irwd.com/images/pdf/doing-business/environmental-documents/env-documents-2023/Santiago%20Creek%20Dam%20_NOP_FINAL-050223.pdf