| Bear River Dam | |
| Location: | Amador County, California |
| Coordinates: | 38.5579°N -120.2162°W |
| Type: | Reservoir |
| Area: | 149acres |
| Max-Depth: | 83feet |
| Volume: | 6818acre.ft |
| Pushpin Map: | California |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of lake in California. |
Bear River Dam (National ID # CA00379, also known as the Upper Bear River Dam) is a dam in Amador County, California,[1] due east of Sacramento.
The rockfill dam was constructed in with a height of, and a length of at its crest.[2] It impounds the Bear River for hydroelectric power generation and municipal water supply. It is owned and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the largest private owner of hydroelectric facilities in the United States, making it one of the company's 174 dams.
The reservoir it creates, Bear River Reservoir, has a normal water surface of and has a maximum capacity of .[3] Recreation includes fishing, swimming, and camping,[4] however the Upper Bear River Reservoir can only be accessed by foot, and is mostly unused by the public.
The Lower Bear River Reservoir and its own dam lie immediately downstream and to the west, also owned by PG&E.
The dam is being examined as the upper pool in a 380–1,140 MW pumped-storage project with the Salt Springs Reservoir as the lower pool.[5]