Anderson Dam is the 240-foot earthen wall beside Highway 101 that holds back the largest reservoir in Santa Clara County. When it's full, the reservoir holds 89,278 acre-feet, according to the Mercury News. That's more than the water district's other nine reservoirs combined. It was built in 1950. Starting in January, crews begin replacing it.
Valley Water says construction on the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project is planned to begin in January 2027. The district's board awarded the construction contract on July 24, 2026. In its July news release, the district put the contract at $1.88 billion and said construction should take about seven years.
Seven years is long enough to change a habit. The water side of Anderson Lake County Park is closed. The creek side below the dam is still open. Until the new dam is built and the reservoir refills, Morgan Hill's lake outings move south to Coyote Lake, Chesbro and Uvas, and the north end of town keeps its trail along Coyote Creek.
The calendar runs past 2032
The Mercury News reported the construction schedule in four phases.
- 2027: Crews build six miles of haul roads and two temporary bridges in the lands around the dam.
- 2028 to 2030: They tear down the old dam, removing about one-third of it each year.
- 2031 and 2032: They build the new dam, which will be nearly the same size but have a wider base and better anchoring to bedrock.
- After that: The district expects the reservoir to take about two years to refill under average winter rainfall.
"The old dam was built to the standards of the 1950s," Valley Water civil engineer Aaron Baker told the paper. "But it has seismic deficiencies with the current standards."
The fourth step matters most for anyone who fishes or paddles. Santa Clara County Parks estimates the Anderson closures will last until about 2032. Even after the gates reopen, the lake won't look like a lake again until it has gone through a couple of wet winters.
The closure stops at the water
The county's closures and alerts page was last updated October 16. It lists these areas at Anderson Lake County Park as closed:
- Boating, the boat ramp, and the boat and vehicle parking areas
- Fishing along the entire reservoir shoreline
- The Toyon Group picnic site and its parking, the Serpentine Trail, and Dam Crest Woodchoppers Flat
- Coyote Road from the toe of the dam to the boat and vehicle parking areas
- Lakeview Trail from the Anderson Launch Ramp parking lot trailhead to its westernmost junction with the Rancho Laguna Seca Trail
- The Live Oak Group Picnic Site, the bridge nearest it, and everything north of that bridge
Nearly everything on that list is either the reservoir itself or part of getting to it. The county doesn't list the Rancho Laguna Seca Trail itself as closed. On the same page, Coyote Creek Parkway shows no trail closures at all. The county's Anderson Lake guide map shows trail access from Holiday Drive at Rosendin Park as open. It also says any area left off the map, Woodchoppers Flat included, is closed.
The map says the closures last until about 2030, while the alert says about 2032. The alert is the one the county keeps current. For the latest trail status, County Parks asks visitors to call 408-355-2200 and press 3 before heading out.
Coyote Creek stays open, and it's getting work too
Coyote Creek Parkway is a paved, relatively flat multi-use path that runs 15 miles from Anderson Lake to Hellyer County Park. It's open from 8 a.m. to sunset all year. The Coyote Creek Visitor Center at 19245 Malaguerra Avenue has free parking and restrooms. For a stroller loop, a long flat bike ride, or a dog walk that doesn't climb, this is the Anderson-area option that wasn't affected by the dam closures.
The creek is also under construction this fall. Valley Water's Live Oak Restoration Reach Project is adding gravel and large wood structures along about 2,600 feet of Coyote Creek to improve spawning and rearing conditions for native steelhead trout. The work started in June and is scheduled to continue through December 2026. Valley Water says people may notice more truck traffic on nearby roads, along with delays, noise and temporary congestion while materials are hauled in.
Valley Water also says the Live Oak Picnic Area will stay fully closed through both this creek project and the dam project. Older County Parks text describes the creekside family picnic areas as open year-round. For Live Oak, the newer closure notice applies. A creekside lunch this winter means bringing a blanket somewhere else along the parkway.
For time on the water, head south
With Anderson's shoreline closed, the nearest lake outings are at three county parks south and east of downtown. Each one offers something different.
Coyote Lake–Harvey Bear Ranch County Park has the most trail mileage, with more than 33 miles for hiking, horseback riding and off-road biking. The county lists no trail closures there. Boating is a different story. The park's boating season normally runs from mid-April to mid-October, and it closed for the year on October 15. From now until spring, the closest public boat launch to Morgan Hill is closed for the season along with Anderson's.
Chesbro Reservoir and Uvas Reservoir are the places to fish from shore this winter. Both parks are open all year from 8 a.m. to sunset, charge no entry fee, and offer shoreline fishing and wildlife viewing. Neither has designated trails or picnic sites, so plan on a short visit with a folding chair rather than a picnic. The county lists no closures at Chesbro or Uvas.
Taken together, these parks cover what Anderson used to offer in one place. Coyote Lake has the long trails and, in season, the boats. Chesbro and Uvas have the quiet shoreline. The paved path along Coyote Creek still connects to the north end of Anderson.
For a big hike, head east
Henry W. Coe State Park was always a different kind of outing from Anderson, and the closures haven't changed that. California State Parks says the Coe Ranch and Hunting Hollow entrances are open year-round, holidays included. The Dowdy Ranch entrance is seasonal and can close for weather, heat or staffing. The Pine Ridge Association, which supports the park, says the Coe Ranch Visitor Center is open every weekend year-round and often on Fridays and Mondays during busy months.
Before packing for an overnight trip, check the fire rules. State Parks has banned wood and charcoal campfires at Coe since June 12, 2026, for the rest of wildfire season. Gas stoves, grills and portable gas fire pits are still allowed.
To the north, Coyote Valley Open Space Preserve is finishing a public-access project. The Open Space Authority's August and September updates described grading, a new accessible trail surfaced with decomposed granite, and work on the parking lot, with completion targeted for fall 2026. Until the work is done, the preserve asks visitors to read the notices posted on site. Equestrians can ride in, but horse-trailer parking isn't available. Cyclists on the four-mile Arrowhead Loop have to ride in one direction, and that direction changes each month. Check the posted direction before you start.
Ask your questions at the November 5 meeting
Valley Water is holding a pre-construction public meeting on Thursday, November 5, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. It will be in the Hiram Room at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road, and you can also join on Zoom. District staff plan to give a schedule update and project details.
The district hasn't yet published a public-road haul route or daily work hours for the 2027 phase. Those are the details that will affect Cochrane Road traffic and nearby streets. When the project's environmental review wrapped up in early 2025, the Morgan Hill Times reported that officials expected most of the excavated material to be stockpiled inside the reservoir, which would limit how much gets trucked through nearby neighborhoods. That was a statement from 2025, not a final traffic plan. The November 5 meeting is the place to ask whether it still holds and what the January start means for the roads and trailheads closest to the dam.
If you own a home near Anderson Lake or the Coyote Creek corridor and want to know how buyers are likely to factor a seven-year construction project into what they'll pay, Jeet Sangha can walk you through recent local sales and help you plan the timing. Request your free home valuation, and we'll start with what the dam schedule means for your street.
