Thursday July 7, 2022
Santa Clara Valley Water News —
For the past several months, Valley Water construction crews drilled 244 holes deep into the hillside next to Anderson Dam in Morgan Hill. Inside each hole, workers placed a 120-foot-long bar, up to 2-1/4 inches in diameter. The steel bars, each weighing about 1,600 pounds, were covered with 12-inches of concrete.
This work to reinforce roughly 15,000 square feet of hillside was a milestone in an overall effort to build a new outlet tunnel at Anderson Dam. This new tunnel will allow Valley Water to draw down the reservoir reliably and quickly, providing greater control over the water levels in the reservoir and increasing public safety.
“This tunnel is a major part of getting Anderson Dam back online as a stronger facility so it can protect public safety and again serve as Santa Clara County’s largest drinking water reservoir,” said Valley Water Chair Pro Tem John L. Varela, who represents South County.
Later this summer, Valley Water will begin digging a tunnel reaching 24.5′ in diameter through the 12-inch concrete layer and hillside. Once the tunnel is complete, Valley Water will be able to release water from Anderson Reservoir five times more quickly than previously and 12 times more quickly once the whole project is finished.