Savage Dam

{{Infobox dam

| name = Savage Dam

| name_official =

| image =

| image_size = 280px

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| coordinates = {{coord|32|36|38|N|116|55|29|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| country = United States

| location = San Diego County, California

| status = In use

| construction_began = {{start date and age|1916}}

| opening = {{start date and age|1918}}

| demolished =

| cost =

| owner = City of San Diego

| dam_type = Concrete arch gravity

| dam_height = {{convert|149|ft|m}}

| dam_length = {{convert|750|ft|m}}

| dam_width_crest =

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| dam_crosses = Otay River

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| res_name = Lower Otay Reservoir

| res_capacity_total = {{convert|49510|acre.ft|m3}}

| res_catchment = {{convert|101.2|sqmi|km2}}

| res_surface = {{convert|1090|acre|ha}}

| res_max_depth =

| plant_hydraulic_head = {{convert|120|ft|m}}

| res_tidal_range =

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}}

Savage Dam is a dam across the Otay River in the San Ysidro Mountains of southwestern San Diego County, California. It is a concrete arch gravity structure {{convert|149|ft|m}} high,{{cite web

|url=http://findlakes.com/savage_california~ca00109.htm

|title=Savage, southeast California

|publisher=FindLakes

|accessdate=2011-01-28}} and serves to store water from the San Diego Aqueduct's third pipeline for backup municipal uses in the San Diego metropolitan area. It is just over {{convert|6|mi|km}} southeast of Chula Vista and {{convert|4|mi|km}} north of the Mexico-US border. The dam is named in honor of H. N. Savage, who directed its construction.Gudde, Erwin G.; Bright, William (2004). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names. University of California Press. p. 352. {{ISBN|0-520-24217-3}}. Accessed 2011-01-28.

The dam was originally completed in 1897 as an earthfill and steel structure called Otay Dam by the Southern California Mountain Water Company to provide water storage. However, in 1916, heavy rains supposedly brought on by Charles Hatfield, a "rainmaker", hired by the city of San Diego to put an end to a drought, caused the dam to burst. The failure sent a wall of water {{convert|40|ft|m}} high downstream, destroying buildings and bridges, and washing thousands of tons of sediment and wreckage into San Diego Bay.{{cite web

|url=http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/2002-1/imageshill.htm

|title=Dry Rivers, Dammed Rivers and Floods

|publisher=San Diego History Center

|work=The Journal of San Diego History

|date=

|accessdate=2011-01-28}} 11 Japanese American farmers were killed.{{cite web|title=Buddhism in San Diego|url=http://www.btsd.net/ABout/aboutbuddhismandtemple.html|publisher=Buddhist Temple of San Diego|accessdate=October 19, 2011}} The dam was rebuilt as Savage Dam in 1918, and has functioned properly since.{{cite web

|url = http://www.sandiego.gov/water/gen-info/history.shtml

|title = City of San Diego Water History

|publisher = City of San Diego

|work = General Information

|accessdate = 2011-01-28

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100803193802/http://www.sandiego.gov/water/gen-info/history.shtml

|archivedate = 2010-08-03

}}