From the Coastside Conservancy

San Clemente Dam not coming down

March 5, 2009 -- The Coastal Conservancy regretfully reports that California American Water (CalAm) has decided not to proceed with cooperative implementation of the San Clemente Dam Removal Project on the Carmel River in Monterey County, and will instead pursue buttressing the dam. Attached is the press release from CalAm announcing its decision, as well as a letter from the Conservancy to CalAm.  

The Coastal Conservancy has worked on this project for several years, and has retained consultants who were developing  a risk management strategy to reduce risks and liabilities associated with the project. Even though the consultants were forced to stop work  temporarily due to the State’s fiscal crisis, the Conservancy had been confident that their work would ultimately be completed and that it would help resolve CalAm’s liability concerns.  The Conservancy remains convinced that the dam removal project is feasible, and that State funds would have become available again to continue work on the project.

The Department of Water Resources intends to file its Notice of Determination within the next few weeks for the buttressing project’s Environmental Impact Report, prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CalAm will then need to secure permits to implement the project. For information on the buttressing project please contact:

CalAm:  Catherine Bowie, Community Relations Manager, catherine.bowie@amwater.com, (831) 646-3208
Department of Water Resources (agency overseeing the project): Paula Landis, Chief – San Joaquin District, plandis@water.ca.gov, (559) 230-3310


Thank you for your interest in and support for the Conservancy’s dam removal efforts. If you have any additional questions regarding the Conservancy’s involvement in this project, please contact Trish Chapman of my staff at tchapman@scc.ca.gov or (510) 286-0749.