Pine Canyon Dam is an ungated flood control structure located within the Meadow Valley Wash Basin, in Lincoln County, Nevada. The drainage area behind the dam totals about 45 square miles. The dam site is located about 18 miles southeast of Caliente, Nevada, and about 100 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada (location map). Along with Mathews Canyon Dam, the project provides protection to downstream areas along Clover Creek, Meadow Valley Wash, and lower Muddy River. These areas include the City of Caliente, 80 miles of the Union Pacific Railroad, farm land, and many miles of highways and roads. The dam was authorized by an act of Congress in 1950. Construction began in March 1957 and work was completed in December 1957.
Photographs of Pine Canyon Dam
| Embankment |
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| Type | Earth and Rock Fill | |
| Crest Elevation | 5,690 feet NGVD | 1734 meters NGVD |
| Invert elevation | 5,604 feet NGVD | 1708 meters NGVD |
| Height above original streambed | 92 feet | 28 meters |
| Crest Length | 884 feet | 269 meters |
| Top Width | 20 feet | 6.1 meters |
| PMF Freeboard | 1.5 feet | .5 meters |
| Spillway |
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| Type | Crest-block | |
| Crest Elevation | 5,675 feet NGVD | 1730 meters NGVD |
| Crest Length | 330 feet | 101 meters |
| Elevation of Maximum Water Surface | 5,688.5 feet NGVD | 1734 meters NGVD |
| Discharge at Maximum Water Surface | 49,200 cfs | 1394 cms |
| Outlet |
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| Invert Elevation | 5,604 NGVD | 1708 meters |
| Diameter | 3.5 feet | 1.1 meters |
| Length | 479 feet | 146 meters NGVD |
| Capacity at Spillway Crest | 322 cfs | 9 cms |
| Surface Area &
Storage Capacity |
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| Area at Spillway Crest | 254 acres | 1,027,902 sm |
| Area at Top of Dam | 362.5 acres | 1,466,985 sm |
| Storage Capacity at Spillway Crest | 7,747 acre-feet | 9.5 MCM |
| Storage at Spillway Design Surcharge Level | 11,788 acre-feet | 14 MCM |
| Storage Capacity at Top of Dam | 12,329 acre-feet | 15 MCM |
| Sedimentation Allocation | 1,400 acre-feet | 1.7 MCM |
| Reservoir Design Flood |
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| Duration of Inflow | 3 days | 3 days |
| Total Volume | 7,300 acre-feet | 9.0 MCM |
| Peak Inflow | 10,500 cfs | 297 cms |
| Peak Outflow | 321 cfs | 9 cms |
| Spillway Design Flood |
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| Duration of Inflow | 1 day | 1 day |
| Total Volume | 18,000 acre-feet | 22 MCM |
| Peak Inflow | 68,100 cfs | 1929 cms |
| Peak Outflow | 49,200 cfs | 1394 cms |
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Historic Maximum Water Surface |
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| Date | 11 January 2005 | |
| Maximum Elevation | 5,658.34 feet NGVD | 1,724.66 meters NGVD |
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Historic Maximum Release |
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| Date | 3 March 1978 | |
| Maximum Release | 303 cfs | 8.6 cms |
| Notes: |
| NGVD = National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. |
| MCM = million cubic meters |
| cfs = cubic feet per second |
| cms = cubic meters per second |
| sm = square meters |
View Current Pine Canyon Dam Gage Data
View/Download Current Approved Water Control Manual
Pine Canyon Dam Flood Inundation Maps
Last Updated on February 9, 2006 by W. Luo
