El Capitan Dam | |
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![]() Satellite view | |
Country | United States |
Location | Cleveland National Forest, San Diego County, California |
Coordinates | 32°53′02″N 116°48′34″W / 32.88389°N 116.80944°W |
Construction began | 1931 |
Opening date | 1934 |
Construction cost | $5.8 million |
Owner(s) | City of San Diego |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | Embankment |
Impounds | San Diego River |
Height | 237 ft (72 m) |
Length | 1,170 ft (360 m) |
Reservoir | |
Creates | El Capitan Reservoir |
Total capacity | 112,800 acre⋅ft (139,100,000 m3) |
Catchment area | 190 sq mi (490 km2) |
Surface area | 1,536 acres (622 ha) |
El Capitan Dam is an embankment dam or Hydraulic fill dam on the San Diego River in southern California. The dam forms the 112,800-acre-foot (139,100,000 m3) El Capitan Reservoir and serves mainly to supply water to the city of San Diego as well as providing flood control. The dam is connected to the San Diego municipal water system via the El Capitan Pipeline, which extends approximately 30 miles (48 km) to the city. It is the second largest storage facility in San Diego's water supply system, after San Vicente Dam.[1]