Bear River Dam, Embankment dam in Amador County, California

Bear River Dam is an embankment dam in Amador County, California, that creates a reservoir for water storage and hydroelectric power generation. The structure supports both energy production and supplies water to local communities.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company built this dam in 1900 to generate electricity and deliver water to the region. The project was part of early efforts to develop hydroelectric power in California.

The dam and its reservoir are owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the largest private owner of hydroelectric facilities in the United States; Bear River Dam is one of the company's 174 dams. Recreation at the reservoir includes fishing, swimming and camping, though the upper reservoir is mostly unused by the public.

The Upper Bear River Reservoir can only be reached on foot, and it is mostly unused by the public. The Lower Bear River Reservoir and its dam lie immediately downstream and to the west, also owned by PG&E. Recreation around the reservoir includes fishing, swimming, and camping.

The Upper Bear River Reservoir can only be reached on foot, so it is mostly unused by the public. Its dam is being studied as the upper pool of a pumped-storage project of 380 to 1,140 MW, with Salt Springs Reservoir as the lower pool.