Lake Hemet Dam

Lake Hemet Dam, located in Mountain Center, California, impounds the South Fork of the San Jacinto River and creates Lake Hemet. The dam and lake are surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. The dam is operated by the Lake Hemet Municipal Water District, which supplies water to parts of the cities of Hemet and San Jacinto as well as the Garner Valley community of Mountain Center.[1]

Lake Hemet Dam
Lake Hemet Dam - 1895
Location of Lake Hemet Dam in California
LocationMountain Center, Riverside County, California
Coordinates33°39′53″N 116°42′24″W
StatusIn use
Construction began1891
Opening date1895
Operator(s)Lake Hemet Municipal Water District
Dam and spillways
Type of damMasonry (arch)
ImpoundsSan Jacinto River (South Fork)
Height135 ft (41 m)
Reservoir
CreatesLake Hemet
Total capacity14,000 acre⋅ft (17,000,000 m3)
Surface area470 acres (190 ha)
"Lake Hemet 817 Dam". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.

History

Construction of the Lake Hemet Dam began on January 6, 1891 by the Lake Hemet Water Company. Construction was completed in 1895. When built, the Lake Hemet Dam was the largest solid masonry dam in the world at a height of 122.5 feet (37.3 m) until it was surpassed in height by the Roosevelt Dam in 1911. In 1923, the height of the dam was increased to 135 feet (41 m). The Lake Hemet Municipal Water District was founded on September 27, 1955, to take over the activities of the Lake Hemet Water Company, purchasing the Lake Hemet water system with funds raised through a bond initiative.

The dam was constructed with Portland cement due to its ability to set underwater; however, Portland cement was not available in the western United States at the time of construction. The cement needed for the construction of the dam was purchased from sources in Antwerp, Belgium, shipped around the south of South America, as the Panama Canal had not yet been built. It was then shipped by railroad to San Jacinto where it was loaded onto mule-drawn wagons to be transported up the mountain.[2]

References
  1. "DIVISION MAP" (PDF). www.lhmwd.org. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  2. "Lake Hemet Municipal Water District". Lake Hemet Municipal Water District.
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