Project Description:

This project involved widening the base and raising the height of the San Vicente Dam 123 feet, to a total height of 343 feet, expanding the reservoir capacity to 190,000 acre-feet.

The project was a key piece of the San Diego County Water Authority's comprehensive Emergency Storage Project (ESP), designed to ensure that water is available to the San Diego region in the event of an interruption in imported water deliveries.

O'Connor's involvement at the preliminary stage of design was an effective cost control tool. For example, the SDCWA identified in the preliminary budgets that on-site mining and moving costs were very high. Consequently, they sought alternative solutions and decided to mine the wet side of the dam. This cut down on cost significantly and was also less of on an environmental impact.