Corps Awards $1.8B in Southern California Dam Safety Contracts to Barnard Construction
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A pair of Southern California dam upgrades are to mitigate flood risk for nearly 2.5 million peoplein and $400 billion in infrastructure the region between the dams and the Pacific Ocean.
NewsProjectsWestWest Construction NewsWater & Dams Water Projects Corps Awards $1.8B in Southern California Dam Safety Contracts to Barnard Construction By Greg Aragon Photo courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Prado Dam near Corona, Calif. will undergo a $1.13-billion spillway modification to manage flood risk. April 3, 2026 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded $1.86 billion in contracts to Barnard Construction for dam safety upgrades at Prado and Whittier Narrows dams in Southern California. Both projects aim to mitigate flood risk for nearly 2.5 million people in and $400 billion in infrastructure the region between the dams and the Pacific Ocean. The $1.13 billion Prado Dam Spillway Modification project the Santa Ana River near Corona, Calif. will improve the holding capacity of a facility that has faced increased runoff due to regional urbanization since its completion in 1941. The “dry dam,” with generally low water levels behind the reservoir, features a main dam, consisting of a large earthen embankment, auxiliary dike, concrete outlet for controlled water releases and a wide concrete spillway to handle excess water flows. "At Prado Dam, we’re pairing smarter contracting with the innovative engineering of a labyrinth spillway to provide a higher level of safety for 1.4 million Americans,” said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle in a release. The project combines two project phases into one. The first phase fixes potential safety issu...
