Proposals for Matilija Dam

The Times is to be commended for focusing attention on the issue of the obsolete Matilija Dam (“2 Views of Matilija Dam,” Nov. 29). Restoring steelhead habitat is certainly an important objective, yet there is another compelling reason for the removal of old silted-up dams up and down the coast--the millions of cubic yards of sediment imprisoned by these structures that would otherwise be replenishing our beaches.

Coastal erosion is a serious problem in Ventura County and all of Southern California. Upstream development, channelized riverbeds, flood control and diversion projects all interact to starve our beaches of the sand that once created this valuable natural infrastructure. It is therefore distressing to see that some of the proposals for Matilija Dam involve selling the sediment and trucking it away. Clearly a solution must be found that will allow this sand to take its natural course to shore. We could not interrupt the flow of a stream without a serious consideration of water rights, yet we disrupt the flow of sediment without so much as a passing thought to the impacts on those downstream.

Gov. Pete Wilson’s Resources Agency put a value of $3 billion in direct and ancillary economic benefit on California’s beaches. It’s time we started paying attention to this priceless asset. California needs a statewide effort to remove these antiquated dams as a component of a comprehensive shoreline management program. Consider the cost--environmentally and economically--if we do not.

JONATHAN SHARKEY, Member, Port Hueneme City Council, and Beach Erosion Authority for Control, Operations and Nourishment (BEACON)