L.L. Anderson Dam Spillway Modification Project

Complete
Person icon

client

Placer County Water Agency (PCWA)
Building icon

client type

Municipal
Delivery truck icon

Delivery Method

Design Bid Build
Location pinpoint icon

Location

Placer County
,
CA
Calendar icon

Start date

June 2012
Hamburger menu icon

Role

Construction Management Services

MWH provided construction management services for the L.L. Anderson Dam Spillway Modification Project, an award-winning, heavy civil infrastructure project located within the Tahoe National Forest. The project increased spillway discharge capacity to safely pass the updated Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) without overtopping the dam, protecting downstream communities and critical water and hydropower infrastructure.

The team successfully completed this complex, high-altitude project on schedule and within budget despite severe weather, remote access, and stringent regulatory oversight by FERC and the California Department of Safety of Dams.

Key improvements included precision rock excavation and controlled blasting, construction of a new reinforced concrete spillway control structure with twin 36.5-foot-wide radial gates, extensive shotcrete and rock-bolting for erosion control, seepage cutoff grouting, and a raised dam crest with new parapet walls.

MWH’s proactive partnering, advanced cost and schedule controls, and robust safety and quality management programs resulted in zero recordable incidents, no claims, and completion 10 days ahead of schedule. The project earned recognition as the ASCE California Construction Project of the Year and the CMAA Northern California Project Achievement Award for its innovation, technical excellence, and public safety benefits.

‍

No items found.
Project Partners
No items found.

Awards

No items found.

Recent News

Mapping the Invisible: Turning Subsurface Utility Exploration into Strategic Intelligence

This digital thread ensures that design engineers, construction teams, operations staff, and City leadership all work from the same validated foundation of information. In an environment as utility-dense as a 50-year-old wastewater treatment plant, this visibility is essential.

Read More

Inspiring Stories from Women in Construction

In January, MWH officially launched its Women in Construction chapter—an exciting milestone for the company and a meaningful step forward for representation across our jobsites, offices, and leadership teams. The launch reflects a growing commitment to elevating the voices and experiences of women who contribute to every part of our work.

Read More

Building Connections From Design to Day One

MWH delivers a fully integrated Commissioning & Startup (C&SU) program that begins in preconstruction and carries through final acceptance and operator handover. Unlike traditional approaches where commissioning is treated as a late-stage activity, MWH embeds commissioning into every phase of project delivery, ensuring systems are designed, constructed, tested, and optimized as a cohesive whole.

Read More
Back to all Projects