Uvas dam and reservoir are located on Uvas Creek about two miles upstream from the intersection of Watsonville and Uvas roads in southern Santa Clara County. The Spanish name for grapes, "uvas," is preserved in a number of place names, all apparently referring to the abundance of wild grapes. Uvas Creek got its name from the land grant Cañada de las Uvas (grape ravine) dated June 14, 1842. Uvas Dam was a part of the South Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation District. It was completed in 1957. The reservoir's capacity is 9,835 acre-feet of water. The surface area is 288 acres*.
*Reservoir storage values have been updated to reflect recent survey results.
Inundation maps
Inundation Map of Hypothetical Fair Weather Failure of Uvas Dam (2019) (index map)
Inundation Map of Hypothetical Inflow Design Flood Failure of Uvas Dam (2019) (index map)
