Seven Oaks Dam, Embankment dam in San Bernardino County, United States.
Seven Oaks Dam is an earthen embankment dam built across the Santa Ana River in the San Bernardino Mountains of California. It rises about 550 feet (167 m) above the riverbed, making it one of the tallest dams of its type in the country.
Construction began in the early 1990s after a series of severe floods caused widespread damage in the lowlands along the Santa Ana River. The US Army Corps of Engineers completed the dam in 1999, and it has been managing river flow ever since.
The dam sits at the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest, and the trails nearby draw hikers who follow the Santa Ana River upstream. For people living in the valleys below, the structure is a visible reminder that the land around them was shaped by repeated flooding.
The dam is reached by mountain roads that can be affected by weather conditions, so it is worth checking the route before setting out. Once there, the terrain is hilly and the elevation is noticeable, so comfortable footwear is a good idea.
The dam was built to withstand a major earthquake because it sits just a short distance from one of California's most active fault lines. This requirement made it one of the most technically demanding earthen dams ever built in the United States.
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