Nearly six years ago, WSC began working with California American Water Company (California American Water), the California State Coastal Conservancy, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and several project stakeholders on the removal of the San Clemente Dam and restoration of the Carmel River. At the time of project inception, the San Clemente Dam was over 90 years old and nearly 95% filled with sediment, causing the San Clemente Dam to be deemed seismically unsafe by the California Division of Safety of Dams. In addition to reaching the end if its useful life, the San Clemente Dam posed several environmental concerns, including negative impacts to native species like the South-Central California Coast Steelhead Trout (Steelhead) and the California Red-Legged Frog. After thorough analysis, the Project Team concluded that the dam was to be removed in efforts to improve fish passage, repopulate native species of plants and animals, and ensure the safety of the local community. As a unique approach, the $83 million project was jointly funded by public and private parties, including California American Water, the California Coastal Conservancy, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, among others.
As of December 2015, the San Clemente Dam was completely removed and the Carmel River began flowing along its new course, including 56 carefully engineered resting pools for the spawning Steelhead. The completion of this project has spurred the efforts to study and remove dams throughout the country. More information about the project and the conversation it has spurred can be found in the San Francisco Chronicle’s Article about the project.
By early February 2016, an adult Steelhead was spotted migrating upstream into the new Carmel River. Redds, or nests that female Steelhead build for their eggs, have also been seen past the original site of the San Clemente Dam, showing unprecedented progress. Fish experts predict that the number of migrating Steelhead could more than double in its first year. To learn more about the potential effects on the Steelhead and future action to be taken to aide their recovery, take a look at the Monterey Herald’s article.
The project site was filmed throughout the construction period and is continuing to be streamed live on the web to show changes with the seasons and water flow. California American Water has created a series of videos on the progress of the dam removal. The first segment, New Life for the Carmel River, provides a visual background on the San Clemente Dam in relation to its original state and the future of the project. The second segment, San Clemente Dam Removal Update – Year 2, shows the progress made on the dam removal from the beginning of construction to the end of the second year of construction. The third and last segment, San Clemente Dam Removal Update – Year 3, features the final stages of the removal of the dam and construction of the new 25 mile section of the Carmel River, as well as the intended impact of this project on the local community and environment.
Final tasks are being addressed and the project is scheduled to be completed by Spring 2016. Following project completion and an observation period, California American Water will donate the surrounding land to the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management for public ownership into perpetuity.
The removal of the San Clemente Dam and the re-routing and restoration of the Carmel River marks the largest dam removal project in California’s history, and is precedent-setting for future dam removals nationally, and worldwide. Like the San Clemente Dam, numerous dams all over the country are at risk of sediment build-up and structural instability, and ultimately reaching the end of their useful life. The knowledge and insight gained throughout this project will be utilized to address this growing concern. Additional details regarding the impact of aging dams and steps being taken to remove dams throughout the country can be found in the Engineering News-Record’s article.
WSC is thrilled to have been the Project and Construction Manager for this project for the last six years, and our team looks to build on the success of this project, bringing innovation, experience and leadership to address complex challenges throughout the water industry.