| Pardee Dam | |
|---|---|
| Location | Sierra Nevada Foothills Amador County, California Calaveras County, California |
| Opening date | 1929 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Height | 345 ft (105 m) |
| Length | 1,337 ft (408 m) |
| Impounds | Mokelumne River |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Pardee Reservoir |
| Capacity | 210,000 acre·ft (260,000,000 m3) |
| Catchment area | 575 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| Surface area | 2,134 acres (864 ha) |
| Bridge | |
| Carries | Pardee Dam Road |
| Width | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Pardee Dam | |
Pardee Dam is a 345-foot (105 m)-high structure across the Mokelumne River which marks the boundary between Amador and Calaveras Counties, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada approximately about 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Stockton.
The impounded water forms Pardee Reservoir, the primary source of water for the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) in the San Francisco Bay Area. The reservoir normally covers 3 sq mi (7.8 km2) with a 215,000 acre·ft (265,000,000 m3) capacity. The water is transported from Pardee Reservoir across the Central Valley via three large steel pipe aqueducts to several storage reservoirs located in the hills east of San Francisco Bay which supply drinking water to the East Bay region. The water is also used to generate electric power and for recreation.
Both the dam and its reservoir are named for George Pardee, a prominent Progressive Era politician in the Bay Area who also served as Governor of California.