Calaveras Dam Replacement Project

Owner: San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Client: Black & Veatch
Project Cost: $536 million
Duration: 2011 – 2017
Structural Height: 220 feet
Crest Length: 1,210 feet
Base Thickness: 1,180 feet
Total Volume: 3.5 million cubic yards
Key Stakeholders: County of Alameda, County of Santa Clara, East Bay Regional Parks District and residents of Alameda County and Santa Clara County
Key Services: Communications

The Thier Group is responsible for communications planning, community engagement and media relations for the construction of the Calaveras Dam Replacement Project.  The new Calaveras Dam is a zoned earth and rock fill dam immediately downstream of the existing dam. The replacement dam has a structural height of 220-feet high and is designed to accommodate a maximum credible earthquake on the Calaveras Fault. The replacement dam has total volume of 3.5 million cubic yards and will restore the original reservoir capacity of 96,850 acre-feet, or 31 billion gallons of water.  The Thier Group was instrumental in developing the public communications plan for outreach for construction impacts including road closures during two periods.  Also, Thier Group was part of a key team which developed public messaging for the Naturally Occurring Asbestos Air monitoring program.