On its journey to the sea, the Sweetwater is interrupted by three dams.
The first is Palo Verde Dam, a small rockfill structure about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southeast of Alpine, serving mainly for recreation and flood control.
Several miles below Palo Verde lies the much larger Loveland Dam (Sweetwater Falls Dam), which forms Loveland Reservoir.
Below here, the Sweetwater is free flowing until about 8 miles (13 km) above the mouth, where the Sweetwater Dam forms the last and largest, Sweetwater Reservoir.

Loveland and Sweetwater are both operated by the Sweetwater Authority.
The former serves mainly for flood control while Sweetwater functions as a reserve water storage facility for the cities downstream, including San Diego, National City and Chula Vista and also as a terminus for piped-in water from the San Diego Aqueduct.
On its journey to the sea, the Sweetwater is interrupted by three dams. The first is Palo Verde Dam, a small rockfill structure about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) southeast of Alpine, serving mainly for recreation and flood control. Several miles below Palo Verde lies the much larger Loveland Dam (Sweetwater Falls Dam), which forms Loveland Reservoir. Below here, the Sweetwater is free flowing until about 8 miles (13 km) above the mouth, where the Sweetwater Dam forms the last and largest, Sweetwater Reservoir.
Loveland and Sweetwater are both operated by the Sweetwater Authority. The former serves mainly for flood control while Sweetwater functions as a reserve water storage facility for the cities downstream, including San Diego, National City and Chula Vista and also as a terminus for piped-in water from the San Diego Aqueduct.
Sweetwater River (California)