“”I remember when they built the Auburn Dam. Oh, wait””
That hole in the ground? It’s still there, isn’t it? I have pictures I took in the ‘80’s or possibly the ‘90’s of the proposed or half built bridge across that expanse while on vacation. Haven’t been back since but I would imagine it still looks the same???
Although new proposals surfaced from time to time after the 1980s, the dam was never built for a variety of reasons. Limited flood-control capability, geologic instability, and potential harm on recreational and ecological values finally put an end to the Auburn Dam project. Many of the original groundworks and preliminary constructions at the Auburn Dam site still exist, and up to 2007, the North Fork American River still flowed through the diversion tunnel that had been constructed in preparation for the dam. Reclamation and Placer County Water Agency completed a pump station project that year which blocked the tunnel, returned the river to its original channel, and diverted water through another tunnel under Auburn to meet local needs. However, some groups continue to support construction of the dam, which they claim would provide important water regulation and flood protection.