Estimating Reservoir Sedimentation Rates: Long-Term Implications for California's Reservoirs

This paper presents a compilation and analysis of reservoir sedimentation rates applied to unsurveyed reservoirs in California. A number of reservoirs, primarily in the Coast Ranges, have already filled or are nearly filled with sediment and are being considered for removal, including the Matilija, San Clemente, Rindge and Searsville Dams. Of the over 1,400 dams in California listed in the National Inventory of Dams (NID), only 213 (15%) have been surveyed for reservoir sedimentation, presenting a significant gap in current knowledge. Using previously published reports on reservoir sedimentation rates (excluding flood control and debris flow basins), we determined the median reservoir sedimentation rates for the nine different geomorphic regions in California. For the geomorphic regions with sedimentation data, the median sedimentation rate +/- standard error in m3 km-2 yr-1, and (number of measured reservoirs) are: Siskiyou: 340 +/- 170 (3), Coast Range: 220 +/- 50 (49), Central Valley: 145 +/- 90 (5), Sierra Nevada: 95 +/- 25 (23), Transverse Range: 500 +/- 200 (18), and Peninsular Range: 260 +/- 185 (4). These reservoir sedimentation rates were then applied to the unsurveyed reservoirs. Of the approximately 42 million acre-feet of water storage in the state, approximately 5.14 million acre-feet may be currently occupied by sediment, representing a significant decrease of 12% of the state's water supply. Using the same rates to forecast the effects after 50-years, we found that the reservoirs with most risk of sedimentation are primarily small reservoirs (<2,500 acre-feet), such as municipal water-supply reservoirs, especially those operated by coastal towns and cities. Reservoirs in the Coast and Transverse Ranges are the most at risk, with high sedimentation rates, small reservoirs on large watersheds, and older reservoirs. There are over twenty reservoirs that will likely be full or nearly full in 50-years, including Tinemaha, Pleasant Valley, Lee Lake, Potrero, Hour House, Hansen, Century, and Benbow.