The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has changed Mojave River Dam’s risk characterization from low to high urgency of action.
The change was the result of recent risk assessment findings that during an extreme flood event, water could exceed the design capacity of the dam and overtop it. This could potentially result in dam failure, flooding the communities of Hesperia, Apple Valley, Victorville and Barstow, located adjacent to the Mojave River. Flood waters also could reach Baker, more than 140 miles downstream of the dam.