Twain Harte Dam (National ID # CA00649) is a multiple

arch dam An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengthe ...

Tuolumne County, California Tuolumne County (), officially the County of Tuolumne, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 55,620. The county seat and only incorporated city is Sonora. Tuolumne County comprises th ...

. Its reservoir is Twain Harte Lake and it is located near

Twain Harte, California Twain Harte is a census-designated place (CDP) in Tuolumne County, California, United States. The population was 2,226 at the 2010 census, down from 2,586 at the 2000 census. Its name is derived from the last names of two famous authors who lived i ...

. Developers began building Twain Harte Dam in the summer of 1927. It was completed in 1928 and is owned by the Twain Harte Lake Association. The dam is high, in length, and in width. The dam has a crest elevation of and its volume is . In August 2014, fracturing of a

granite dome Granite domes are domical hills composed of granite with bare rock exposed over most of the surface. Generally, domical features such as these are known as bornhardts. Bornhardts can form in any type of plutonic rock but are typically composed o ...

known as "the Rock" located adjacent to the dam forced the closing and draining of the lake for safety reasons. It was feared the dam would fail and there would be a flash flood in Sullivan Creek. The cause of this fracturing is a process known as '' exfoliation''. Twain Harte Lake is the name of the reservoir created by Twain Harte Dam. It has a normal water surface of , and a maximum capacity of . Its

drainage area A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...

is . The lake is used for recreation and is available only to members of the Twain Harte Lake Association.

References

Dams in California Dams in the San Joaquin River basin Buildings and structures in Tuolumne County, California Buttress dams Reservoirs in Tuolumne County, California Dams completed in 1928 1928 establishments in California {{US-dam-stub

See also

References