Remains of destructive dam failure to be cleared from the American River after 60 years
After nearly 60 years of being submerged in the clear waters of the American River, chunks of concrete and steel will be removed from the river in the Auburn State Recreation Area, but how did they get there? Before the current State Route 49 bridge straddled the American River, a similarly placed bridge provided the vital connection between Auburn and the communities of northwest El Dorado County. That bridge, named the Georgetown Bridge, was built in 1948 and ended its time of providing safe passage for motorists on Dec. 23, 1964. According to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), Hell Hole Dam breached, releasing 30,000 acre-feet of water down the Rubicon River, into the Middle Fork of the American River and down to the confluence with the North Fork of the American River near Auburn.