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Environment & Climate

California audit finds 57 aging dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition

Associated Press reports the State Auditor found 57 dams in poor condition and warned the 40 riskiest could endanger up to 1.5 million people.

Updated Oct 14, 2026 · 22:13 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • A State Auditor report found 57 aging dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition as of May, and that count is likely to rise.[Associated Press]
  • With El Niño rain threatening, the auditor warns the 40 riskiest dams, clustered near coastal cities, could endanger up to 1.5 million people and cause over $265 billion in damage.[Associated Press]
  • Lawmakers gave the state penalty power in 2017, but the Department of Water Resources has never taken punitive enforcement action, though 44 dam owners were referred as of April.[Associated Press]
  • State law never required owners to set aside repair funds, so most likely lack the money to fix dams even if enforced.[Associated Press]

Key facts

  • An audit released Monday found 57 dams in poor or unsatisfactory condition as of May, and the count is expected to keep rising as reevaluations continue.[Associated Press]
  • The 40 riskiest dams, rated high or extremely high hazard, are spread across the state but cluster near densely populated coastal cities.[Associated Press]
  • The auditor reported that if these dams fail, they could endanger as many as 1.5 million people and cause more than $265 billion in economic damage.[Associated Press]
  • Lawmakers gave the state power to penalize dam owners that violate safety requirements in 2017, after the Oroville spillway failure forced the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people.[Associated Press]
  • State engineers have referred owners of 44 dams for enforcement as of April, but the Department of Water Resources has never taken punitive enforcement actions against owners who fail to remedy violations.[Associated Press]
  • A Federal Emergency Management Agency grant awarded California $629,198 in September, according to Jason Ince, a spokesperson for the Department of Water Resources.[Associated Press]

What remains uncertain

  • The 57-dam count is expected to rise as state water officials continue reevaluating aging dams.[Associated Press]
  • The conclusion that most dam owners could not afford repairs is the auditor's estimate, not a verified finding about each owner's finances.[Associated Press]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.