News Release Archive

Trump Administration modernizes Boca Dam with Safety of Dams improvements

Boca Dam Road to reopen week of October 19

Media Contact: Mary Lee Knecht, 916-978-5100, mknecht@usbr.gov

For Release: October 19, 2020

Boca Dam RoadCARSON CITY, Nev. - The Bureau of Reclamation will reopen Boca Dam Road this week, which was closed since May 2019 due to a safety project at Boca Dam. Upgrades to the 81-year old dam corrected seismic risks as part of Reclamation’s Safety of Dams Program.

“The Trump Administration completed work in under two years to ensure the safety of downstream communities,” said Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman. “Through Reclamation’s Safety of Dams Program, we were able to complete these important improvements and support many local jobs while doing so—another advantage of modernizing Reclamation’s infrastructure.”

Under the Safety of Dams Program, Reclamation completes studies and resolves safety issues on its dams. As part of the modifications at Boca Dam, Reclamation added a stability berm, a 25-foot wider crest and reinforced the road across the dam.

Boca Dam, located 27 miles west of Reno, provides flood protection for Reno and Sparks, Nevada. The reservoir provides water for irrigation, recreation, fish and wildlife, power generation and drought supplies for the Truckee Meadows area.

Reclamation invested $26 million in the Safety of Dams project at Boca Dam. Combined with the Safety of Dams project just upstream at Stampede Dam, approximately $59 million was spent between the two projects in four years.

Video and more information can be found at the project website, www.usbr.gov/mp/sod/projects/boca.

Learn more about Reclamation’s Safety of Dams Program at www.usbr.gov/ssle/damsafety.

Direct questions to 530-892-6262 (TTY 800-877-8339) or sha-wco-cfiles@usbr.gov, the Interior Region 10 California-Great Basin Construction Office.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.

Relevant Link:

Video — Safety of (Boca & Stampede) Dams