Gallegly Calls for Study of Matilija Dam’s Removal

Backers of a plan to remove Matilija Dam may have found an ally in a Ventura County congressman who believes removing the structure has merit because it could save fish and restore sand flows to the coast.

In an action likely to focus more attention on the controversial proposal, Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) has called on federal engineers to begin an investigation on how to remove the dam. It would be a first step toward determining whether the proposal makes environmental or economic sense.

“It appears the dam may have outlived its usefulness and may be causing more problems than it is solving,” Gallegly said in a news release issued Monday. “If removing it will solve our beach erosion problem and help steelhead trout to recover from its endangered species status, and if its removal is cost-effective, I could support its removal. This study will begin to answer those questions.”

Gallegly said he discussed the issue during a meeting last week with Col. John P. Carroll at the Army Corps of Engineers office in Los Angeles. The two discussed removal of the dam, flood control on Santa Paula Creek and dredging at county harbors.

Matilija Dam was built in 1948 to prevent floods, and to store water for citrus growers and residents in the Ojai Valley.

Today it is nearly filled to the brim with mud and is widely viewed as obsolete. It holds little water and acts as a 145-foot-tall barrier to endangered southern steelhead trout trying to reach 20 miles of prime spawning stream in Matilija Creek.

By weighing in on the dam dispute, Gallegly adds an influential and prominent voice to a growing chorus of calls to tear down the dam.

For the most part, environmentalists have attempted to rally additional support for the proposal. Already a majority of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors and the National Marine Fisheries Service have expressed interest in the plan.

“He’s on the right track there,” Ron Bottorff, chairman of Friends of Santa Clara River, said of Gallegly’s efforts. “You can’t just go in there and take the dam down, because it’s got all this sediment piled up behind it. It’s a complicated problem.”

Although Army Corps officials could not be reached Monday, Gallegly spokesman Tom Pfeifer said the agency has not yet decided to proceed with a dam-removal study.

He said approval must come from Washington, and it will take a few weeks before a decision is made.

While several estimates have been prepared, it would probably cost about $75 million to remove the dam and clear out the tons of sediment trapped behind it.

In other matters, Gallegly urged the corps to complete a Santa Paula Creek flood control project. About 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes during heavy storms last February.

The first phase of the project is completed and $16 million is needed to finish the work, Gallegly said.