Dams that are part of the State Water Project or federal Central Valley Project were not considered for inclusion in the report due to their vital role in California’s water supply system. Similarly, dams designed to protect people and property from catastrophic floods also were not considered.
The report highlights removal opportunities, such as dam license renewal or new funding opportunities to support the removal process, and status of work being conducted to that end. It also identifies partners involved in removal efforts and provides opportunities for the public to take action on behalf of each dam listed.
In the new report, CalTrout is calling for removing five dams where the benefits to native fish populations and river ecosystems greatly outweigh any diminished benefits to people. They are: Klamath Dams (three in the same project), Scott, Rindge, Searsville, and Matilija dams. Removing these dams will mark an important step in restoring balance in the allocation of beneficial uses of water between the environment and people in California.
* As listed in the United States Army Corps of Engineers National Inventory of Dams
Why Dam Removal Makes Sense
There are several reasons why dam removal, in some cases, is the best path forward. Safety for one. As with much of the country’s infrastructure, dams are old and may even pose a threat to the surrounding community (remember Oroville Dam). The threat to safety amplifies given that many dams are built in seismically active areas, some even right on fault lines.
Dams also make communities more vulnerable to sea level rise by trapping sediment that would otherwise fortify beaches and provide a natural buffer against pounding ocean storms.
Next, they no longer make fiscal sense. Many hydroelectric dams are money losers. Trapped sediment reduces productivity and energy costs have become cheaper.
Another reason - there are better, more efficient ways to store water. By utilizing nature’s reservoirs such as Sierra meadows and underground aquifers the need for costly above ground storage becomes obsolete.
And, of course, dams harm our native salmon and steelhead by blocking access to critical cold-water spawning and rearing habitat.
RESTORATION
CalTrout used the following criteria to assess which
dams should be removed:
• The dam blocks access to habitat for salmon and
steelhead species listed as critical or high concern in
the State of Salmonids II Report (written by UC Davis
and California Trout scientists).
• The dam no longer serves its original purpose,
whether generating hydroelectric power, increasing
water supply, or managing flood control, and may
now pose a public safety threat.
• A dam removal opportunity is present.
• The primary purpose of the dam is not flood control
or water supply for people.*
CalTrout has released a report highlighting the top five California dams that should be removed for the health of fish, water, and people.
CalTrout's Top 5 California DAMS OUT Report