San Diego county’s nine dams and reservoirs are all in “good working condition," according to the director of the City of San Diego's Public Utilities Department.
In light of the damaged spillway at the Oroville Dam, City officials gave a tour at Miramar Lake to discuss the state of local dams Thursday.
San Diego's nine dams and reservoirs are inspected weekly by ground and by boat.
“We’re out here looking at property erosion and we’re also looking for saturation, things that are not normal,” said Maile Guerrero, Assistant Reservoir Keeper for Miramar.
Currently, Lake Miramar is at 80 percent capacity. The lake’s spillway is located at it's southwest edge. The public utilities director said the spillway has never been used.
“The likelihood of spilling is very close to zero," said director Halla Razak. "So there are no concerns. The reason we have a spillway is in case of a major earthquake or something catastrophic happening."
By way of comparison, the lower Otay reservoir is at 91 percent capacity. Razak says any overflow caused by rainfall would spill into a natural creek.
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The safety and integrity of dams has been top of mind recently.
“Last year, in February, we’ve gotten into a contract that is going to last for five years to do thorough examinations of all our nine dams,” said Razak.
City officials say they will work proactively with inspectors and consultants, but they’re also calling on the public to inform them if they spot any problem areas.
