Leaders Gather to Commemorate Historic Demolition of San Clemente Dam
August 21 2015 - 9:06PM
Business Wire
The largest dam removal in California history
now underway
Elected officials, conservation groups and community leaders
gathered in Carmel Valley today to tour and commemorate the
long-awaited demolition of the San Clemente Dam. The event, hosted
by California American Water, the California State Coastal
Conservancy and NOAA Fisheries, included state and federal
representatives as well as leadership from various nonprofit
organizations that contributed to the dam removal effort.
After two years of arduous construction to reroute the river
around the sediment that has accumulated behind the dam since its
construction in 1921, large concrete excavators finally began
chipping away the dam itself late last month. The iconic dam that
stood for nearly 100 years is now about half-way demolished and
will be completely removed by early September.
“This is a symbolic moment in this historic project,”
said California American Water President Rob MacLean. “As this dam
comes down, a new and brighter future for this river and its
inhabitants begins. Of all the projects I’ve been a part of in my
career, this is the one I am most proud of.”
“This project and its unique public-private partnership can
serve as a model for other needed dam removals in the state and
beyond,” said California State Secretary of Natural Resources, John
Laird.
The antiquated dam does not provide significant water storage
for the community and given the state’s requirement the dam be
seismically safe, is more of a risk than a benefit. The reservoir
was over 95-percent filled with more than 2.5 million cubic yards
of sediment with a remaining water storage capacity of only about
70 acre-feet. Of the 1,400 dams in California that are 25-feet or
higher, 200 are between one-third to one-half filled with
sediment.
Bringing the dam removal project to fruition was made possible
by a strong partnership between California American Water, the
owners and operators of the dam, and the California State Coastal
Conservancy and NOAA Fisheries. Additional federal, state and local
agencies and elected officials at all levels played key roles in
the project’s design, approval, and funding. The estimated project
construction cost is $83 million. Forty-nine million dollars will
be provided by the company and the remaining $34 million will be
secured by the State Coastal Conservancy and NOAA Fisheries. The
Conservancy will raise its portion of the funding from various
public and private sources, including a $1 million contribution
from The Nature Conservancy.
“This project is a game changer for the restoration of
threatened steelhead in the Carmel River,” said Will Stelle,
National Marine Fisheries Service West Coast Regional
Administrator. “The creative solutions and ingenuity brought to the
table by all parties to remove this dam really proves that where
there is a will, there is a way.”
Removing the San Clemente Dam and restoring the Carmel’s natural
flow will have many benefits including:
- Permanently removing the public safety
risk posed by the potential collapse of the outdated San Clemente
Dam, which now threatens 1,500 homes and other public buildings in
the event of a large flood or earthquake.
- Aiding in the recovery of threatened
South-Central California Coast steelhead by providing unimpaired
access to over 25 miles of essential spawning and rearing
habitat.
- Expanding public recreation by
preserving over 900 acres of coastal watershed lands, resulting in
over 5,400 acres of contiguous regional park land for low impact
recreation.
- Restoring the river’s natural sediment
flow, helping replenish sand on Carmel Beach and improving habitat
downstream of the dam for steelhead.
- Reducing beach erosion that now
contributes to destabilization of homes, roads, and
infrastructure.
- Re-establishing a healthy connection
between the lower Carmel River and the watershed above San Clemente
Dam.
- Improving habitat for threatened
California red-legged frogs.
“Working together, the state, federal, non-profit and private
sector partners in this project have achieved far more than any one
of us could alone,” said Executive Director of the State Coastal
Conservancy, Sam Schuchat. “We’ve realized an extraordinary
opportunity to bring a river back to life, help protect a species
and open this natural environment to the public."
With the dam removal near completion, vegetation planting and
habitat restoration will soon begin along the newly cut river
way.
California American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE:
AWK), provides high quality and reliable water and/or wastewater
service to approximately 600,000 people.
Founded in 1886, American Water (NYSE:AWK) is the largest and
most geographically diversified publicly traded U.S. water and
wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J.,
the company employs 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide
regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other
related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and
Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at
www.amwater.com.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150821005724/en/
California American WaterCatherine StedmanOffice:
831-646-3208Mobile: 831-241-2990catherine.stedman@amwater.com
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