PARKER DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 120 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- San Bernardino County
- Operator
- U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1942
- EIA plant ID
- 447
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 396 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 38%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 34.2953, -114.1402
PARKER DAM, a 120 MW Hydro power plant in San Bernardino County, California. Operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned 1942.
How PARKER DAM compares
With 120 MW of capacity, PARKER DAM ranks 141st among the 874 operating power plants Bywatts maps in California and 30th of the 195 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 0.9% of California's operating Hydro capacity and 0.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 149th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1942, it is older than 94% of the 859 operating California plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, runs 10 operating plants in California totaling 2,087 MW. It shares San Bernardino County with 64 other operating plants, including MOUNTAINVIEW GENERATING STATION and HIGH DESERT POWER PLANT.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 120 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 396 GWh in 2024 (a 38% capacity factor), down 7% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1942 and 1943.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is PARKER (230 kV), about 0.3 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line, about 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: HEADGATE ROCK (20 MW, Hydro).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
PARKER DAM is a 120 MW hydro power plant in San Bernardino County, CA, operated by U S BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, commissioned in 1942. San Bernardino County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.3 of 5 at the 33rd national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Very High by FEMA at the 99th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
San Bernardino County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Very High | 99th | 5.0 of 5 | 0.11 |
| Wildfire | Very High | 99th | 4.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Very High | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 13.0 |
| Heat wave | Relatively High | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 11.6 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 20th | 1.8 of 5 | 0.07 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.18 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.76 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 3rd | 1.1 of 5 | 16.8 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 1st | 1.0 of 5 | 2.1 |
Perils not assessed in San Bernardino County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "No Rating" for this county |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
| Ice storm | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for San Bernardino County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.