Success Lake capacity increased with completion of critical flood risk management project

Photo By Samantha Boyle | Partners of the Tule River Spillway Enlargement Project participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony near Success Lake on May 29, 2025. The spillway, which was completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District in March 2025, will provide increased flood risk management to approximately 60,000 residents downstream the Tule River. (U.S. Army photo by Samantha Boyle)  

PORTERVILLE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

05.29.2025

Story by Samantha Boyle 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District

PORTERVILLE, Calif. --
Federal, state and local leaders celebrated completion of the Tule Spillway Enlargement Project at Schafer Dam on May 29.
The $135.5 million project, which was completed in March, increases water conservation capacity for the region while decreasing flood risk for approximately 60,000 people in Porterville and other downstream communities.
Water capacity of Lake Success increased by 28,000 acre-feet for a total of 112,000 acre-feet, made possible by widening the spillway 365 feet and constructing a 10-foot-tall ogee weir that spans the width of the spillway. This system allows for better control of water levels and smooth flow of water.
To commemorate these accomplishments, leaders with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District joined federal, state, and local partners, Congressmen Vince Fong (CA-20) and Mayor of Porterville Greg Meister in a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The ceremony marked another key accomplishment in the district’s wider flood risk management mission.
“As we cut the ribbon today, we are also cutting a path forward,” said South Pacific Division Commander Col. James Handura. “One where partnerships matter, where engineering protects lives, and where the Corps of Engineers continues to build resiliency for the next generation.”
The first phase of the Tule Spillway Enlargement Project began in September 2020 and was completed in February 2022. During this time, contractors widened the spillway’s right abutment and constructed and relocated nearby access roads.
USACE Sacramento District will continue to control operation of the Richard L. Schafer Dam as well as recreational operations at Success Lake.
For more information about the USACE Sacramento District’s Tule Spillway Enlargement Project, visit https://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Tule-River-Spillway-Enlargement/
For more information on Success Lake Recreation Opportunities, visit:
https://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Locations/SacramentoDistrictParks/SuccessLake.aspx

• Date Taken: 05.29.2025
• Date Posted: 06.09.2025 14:03
• Story ID: 500088
• Location: PORTERVILLE, CALIFORNIA, US