BRANCH MEETING: MARCH 20, 2014

John Hollenbeck

DIAMOND VALLEY LAKE PROJECT
METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
RIVERSIDE COUNTY

You might be asking yourself, “What’s that giant hunk of metal John is standing in front of?!” Join us at our March ASCE Branch lunch and find out more about this mega valve and mega project.

Our very own local engineer, John R. Hollenbeck, worked on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s (Metropolitan’s) mega project: the Diamond Valley Lake (DVL) project. It is located about 90 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles in Riverside County, CA. The 800,000 acre-feet off-stream reservoir doubled Metropolitan’s surface water storage capabilities to meet seasonal, drought, and emergency needs. Metropolitan began planning the project in 1987, and the project began filling in late 1999. The project cost was $2-billion (in 1999$).

The dams of the project represent the largest earth and rock fill reservoir project ever built in the United States. A total embankment volume of over 110 million cubic yards of earth and rock were required to construct the West Dam, East Dam, and Saddle Dam. While the West Dam spans a 1.5 mile alluvial valley, the East Dam transverse a 2 mile expanse of small hills and a large alluvial valley. The Saddle Dam closes a small gap in the north hills. The resulting reservoir has a surface area of 4,500 acres.

The major hydraulic structures of the project include the 260 feet tall Inlet/Outlet Tower, the 16 feet diameter P-1 Pressure Tunnel, the Hiram Wadsworth Pumping and Pressure Control Facility which houses 12-6,032 horsepower vertical turbine pumps, the 500 acre-feet Forebay and its connection to the San Diego Canal, the 12 feet diameter yard piping, and numerous large diameter valves (butterfly, spherical, sleeve, and fixed cone).

The Diamond Valley Lake project was a Merit Award Winner at the 2000 ASCE OPAL Gala.

Mr. Hollenbeck is a California and Kansas licensed Civil Engineer with 30 years’ experience in management, planning, design, and construction of hydraulic structures and civil infrastructure projects. He was born and raised in northeast Kansas and received his BS and MS degrees in civil engineering at Kansas State University. He relocated from Kansas to California in 1994 to work on the design of the Diamond Valley Lake Project in Riverside County, a project constructed by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. He has worked on several water related projects throughout California. He and his family moved to Atascadero in 2005 when he was hired by San Luis Obispo County to manage the Nacimiento Water Project. Mr. Hollenbeck started Hollenbeck Consulting in 2012 following the successful completion of that project.

Location: 
Atascadero Lake Pavilion
9315 Pismo Avenue
Atascadero, CA 93422

Date & Time: 
Thursday March 20, 2014
12:00 PM

Cost: 
Members and Guests $20 by RSVP ($25 at the door)
Students $10
ASCE Life Members, complimentary lunch.

Menu: 
Buffet catered by Pacific Harvest Luncheon including: mixed green salad; wild rice pilaf with dried fruit and sliced almonds; herb-roasted potatoes; farmers market grilled vegetables; roasted chick with citrus zest, tarragon and white wine; assorted artisan breads; and white chocolate chip cookies.

Please RSVP by 1:00 p.m. Monday, March 17th, at the Branch web site (www.asceslo.org). Please attend the luncheon if you sign-up – some venues will charge the Branch for every seat we reserve, regardless of the actual attendance. If you have specific dietary restrictions or have questions, please contact Ryan Hayes, ASCE Secretary at rhayes@rickengineering.com or (805) 544-0707.

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Interested in sponsoring a future meeting?
A $200 donation to our scholarship fund will also bring you recognition at the meeting and in our newsletter following the meeting. Please contact Liz Moody at lizm@cannoncorp.us for more information.

ASCE Student Chapter 
Cal Poly SCE meets twice a month on Wednesday evenings. All members of ASCE are invited and encouraged to attend. Please see the SCE website for information regarding special events and ongoing activities.