A 10-year seismic evaluation of the Anderson Dam revealed danger of a breach. To mitigate risks identified during this study the Santa Clara Valley Water District initiated the Anderson Dam Retrofit Project in 2012. Black and Veatch is the design engineer working to retrofit the dam to withstand a projected 7.25 magnitude earthquake. Schaaf & Wheeler is the project management consultant for Black and Veatch.

Anderson Dam is the largest surface water reservoir in Santa Clara County. It is currently limited to about 58% of its capacity due to seismic concerns as it sits on top of two large fault line in Morgan Hill, approximately 20 miles southeast of San Jose. Precautions were put into place in 2009 to prevent the liquification of the dam base and reduce the risk of damage and an uncontrolled release.

Schaaf & Wheeler’s project management services include as-needed technical support, analyses and risk management support. Our engineers also assisted the decision-making for the design of the interim dam to capture and control seasonal flows. Close coordination was required for design integration to mitigate the impact on migratory fish and wildlife habitats during construction and future improvements.

This $500 million project involves multiple stakeholders including, but not limited to, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Schaaf & Wheeler is responsible for stakeholder coordination and documentation of meeting agendas, presentations and records.