SACRAMENTO, California – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District will begin construction operations to realign Avenue 146 and widen the existing Tule River Spillway at Success Lake in Porterville, California, starting August 2.
Avenue 146, including the Rocky Hill Recreation Area, will be closed for the duration of the Phase 1 project, which is expected to be complete in summer 2021. Rocky Hill closure includes all access to the shoreline, day use arbors, and boat launch ramp. Boat launches in the Tule Recreation Area on the east side of the lake will remain open.
The Avenue 146 realignment will reduce road closures during high-water encroachment and provide access for future project work, including construction of a 10-foot-high Ogee Weir across the spillway, and armoring of both the Frazier Dike and the Highway 190 bridge that passes over the lake.
Once complete, the project will increase storage capacity in Success Lake by 28,000 acre-feet and will help improve flood risk reduction for the region.
Schafer Dam and Success Lake, which was constructed by the Corps in 1961, is operated by the Corps for flood control and storage of irrigation water. Recreational facilities at the lake were added after the dam was completed. The dam is located on the Tule River about 6 miles east of the City of Porterville.
For more information about the Tule River Spillway Enlargement Project, visit the project web page at https://go.usa.gov/xfQEd.
Release no. 20-023