Is there any earthquake related risk to the Auburn Dam?
State and Federal agencies have studied the eartquake potential in the area. Dam design criteria were established to compensate for the worst possible scenario. On December 30, 1980, the Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus announced that a safe dam could be constructed on the Auburn Dam site on the North Fork of the American River. In October 1995, the Vern Persson, Chief-Division of the Safety of Dams, California Department of Water Resources made a presentation before the Bureau of Reclamation (Sacramento) regarding the seismic safety of the Auburn Dam. He commented that “…the reservoir induced seismicity has been heightened to a level of concern that really isn’t warranted here on this project”.
