#MyCalifornia: Seven Oaks Dam At High Water
Seven Oaks Dam was built in 2000 to control flooding from the Santa Ana River. We go behind it often to play at the reservoir and explore in the canyon, but the recent high rains made us curious to see where the water level is. Flashflood conditions ruled all week, with road and bridge closures, so we decided to access the dam via Alder Creek Truck Trail.
View of the Seven Oaks Dam from Greenspot Road.
Beginning the climb up Alder Creek Truck Trail.
A panoramic view of the East San Bernardino Valley.
The official access road to the dam with a green backdrop of Crafton Hills.
Each drainage was alive with seasonal flow, transforming the usually dry chaparral into a lush network of basins and cascades.
The jagged hills of Santa Ana Canyon.
Soon, we rose in enough altitude to look up Warm Springs Canyon towards San Bernardino Peak. The road that usually winds down to the reservoir and then upstream along the Santa Ana River abruptly ends at a thick brown waterline.
The entire basin is full, and they're not letting any water out until Prado Dam, miles downstream, stabilizes after the heavy rains.
Here is how the Intake Tower, which rises over 200 feet, looked in September:
Here's how it looked yesterday:
Flood waters rise to the circular cap at the very top of the Seven Oaks Dam intake tower!
Here is a very informative documentary about the building of the dam nearly two decades ago:
Evidently, you can go to the East Valley Water District website and sign up for an email invitation to tour the facilities. Yep, I signed up. This utility company also has a gorgeous compound and demonstration garden offering public tours and programs.
More information available at https://www.eastvalley.org/
Since the sky promised another deluge and the road already had some pretty serious washouts, we enjoyed the view and then turned back home.
God-rays over San Bernardino Valley
Thank you for joining @Mattlovell and me on another celebration of our amazing state, #MyCalifornia. Thanks so much to @socalsteemit for hosting this weekly contest!
Love,cat
@creationofcare
We have San Bernardino in Switzerland too! I didn't know about the one in the US until I was checking the weather forecast and the one in the US came out first :)
It looks like it rains a lot. I hope that the weather will be better for you as I'm not sure how much more water this basin can take. It's such a huge difference on your photos! You could even walk there last time!
Your photos are great and I also like the theme that you chose :) Will you go to that dam one day so that we can see that one too?
Thank you for sharing and congratulations on your curie vote!
Twin cities for the win!
Ordinarily, this area tends toward drought, but we've gotten more rain this month than we did all of last year! What a relief :)
I do hope to attend a tour of the dam itself. The website said they usually do one in spring. I will definitely share if/when I go. Thank you!
Those are some beautiful nature shots, especially the last one with the light pouring from the clouds. Just like a Xtian piece with God reaching to the Earth below. Or even the Intake Tower picture with the hill in the background and the grass fields in the foreground. If that was repainted with grapefields/raisin-fields or wheat fields, then we got a piece of art right there for even a chef to kiss lovingly. I also love how yah do a comparison within the times of each part of the general area and giving even just a bare (hey look there's a bear) statement for why there's a difference.
(Short interruption to bring up but the fotos (photos) with some of the text sticking to the right of the pictures are bugging me. If yah wanna fix that problem, then I suggest using a <"br">, just remember to delete the quotation marks. A bit jarring but I read through it fine.)
Anywho, seeing the beauty of the World and wishing I was there to experience it as well; even after the ides (middle) of February. Also good job on that @curie vote as well. Welp, happy steeming and happy picture-taking!
Thanks so much for your thoughtful words. I do feel like when there are "God-rays" it's like grace pouring from the sky. For me, for you, for everyone!
I will check out your advice regarding photos and adding the break function to prevent sticking.
Have a wonderful day!!!
This is gorgeous. Everything is so green! I love when the rain makes everything green like this. That shot of San Bernardino also makes it look like a beautiful place. Nice tour @creationofcare 😉
Thank you so much! I love this wet season the most. San Bernardino ought to be a more beautiful city because it is nestled right in the heart of all this gorgeous nature. It needs to regain some pride and dignity <3
:).
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Thank you @Curie!!!!!
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Thank you!
I love how everything looks so dream-like, especially the panorama! Reminds me of the last time I went traveling.
It's amazing how even the simplest of architecture in these places looks so beautiful when seen along with nature.
Great clicks :)
I'm glad you enjoyed! :) Thank you
Amazing photos @creationofcare 😉 never had any experience on exploring dam yet😊 so I enjoy your tour happily. Btw, congratulations on @curie pick too.
As long as this dams are fully well-managed, no matter how heavy the rain is.. there'll be no flood right?
Thanks, I am very fortunate :)
Yes, this dam can still hold back more water, it is built to prevent 100-year flood events that otherwise would wipe out large areas of Riverside and Orange County. I remember a big one in the eighties that devastated homes along the river. Now everyone is safe :) Cheers!
It was built to contain a 350 year flood event. :)
That's amazing!
Beautiful photos and I love the dark skies. What kind of play do you play at the reservoir.
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Thanks, the rainclouds do offer a mysterious intrigue to the mood :)
Here are my other posts showing adventures in and around this reservoir. We do fishing, swimming, camping, hiking, and 4 wheel driving there.
https://steemit.com/fishing/@creationofcare/fishing-behind-seven-oaks-dam
https://steemit.com/socalsteemit/@creationofcare/rest-and-recreation-and-a-little-offroad-recovery
https://steemit.com/socalsteemit/@creationofcare/views-from-alder-creek-truck-trail
https://steemit.com/celebration/@creationofcare/escape-from-san-bernardino
Cheers and thank you!
Thanks for the tour 👍👏✌️
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My pleasure! Thanks for stopping by:)
I ve visited there by you. Nice photos also. 👍👏
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Very cool!
Wow what an awesome post. I love all the information you've given us here! The photo taken on the road with the dam in the distance really puts it into perspective. Also the comparison photos of the intake tower is stunning. This site is not too far away from me, I should plan to go see it for myself some time! Thanks for sharing!
It's a wonderful area, I hope you check it out sometime :) thanks so much!
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