The GeoSystems Master Students enrolled in CE 281 Engineering Geology travelled with the CE 112 Water and Wastewater Systems Design and Operations students to Pardee Dam and Camanche Dam. The students were joined by Clifford Chan of EBMUD who explained the operation of Pardee Dam and Camanche Dam. Pardee Dam is a cold water dam and provides most of the drinking water to the Bay Area.

The students were taken on a tour of the inside of Pardee Dam where everyone climbed 300 steps to the "Complaint Department" and was able to write their name on the inside of the dam!

The students were allowed to walk on the Pardee Dam spillway and learned about the low-grade metamorphic rocks that are being eroded away from the high pressure the water on the spillway is putting on the rocks. 

Camanche and Pardee Dam are operated together. Camanche Dam is an earthen dam that is primarily used for recreation, flood protection, and is an active fish hatchery. 20-40% of the fish caught in the ocean near the Bay Area is contributed to the Camanche Dam hatchery. To obtain the correct water temperature for the fish, cold water from Pardee Dam is sent to Camanche Dam which holds much warmer water.