Task Force on Dam Removal Is Planned

Saying the proposal would bring wide, sandy beaches to much of Ventura County and protect threatened fish, dozens of environmentalists, scientists and officials from federal, state and local agencies met Monday to hash out a plan to dismantle Matilija Dam.

After hearing from experts, the 60 participants agreed to name a task force to answer several critical questions. Chief among them is: Who would pay for such a massive and costly project?

While early estimates have ranged as high as $82 million, the true cost is not known and would depend on the process chosen to bring the dam down, panelists said.

What seems sure at this point, suggested Supervisor John K. Flynn and other panel members, is that the dam across the Ventura River would not be torn down unless the county is able to tap heavily into state and federal dollars.

Even if money is found, it would take 10 to 15 years to get through the studies and permits required before a single chunk of concrete is removed, panelists said.

The meeting was called to share information on the dam’s history and problems associated with it. Roundtable members also identified issues that must be tackled before any work could begin, such as commissioning engineering and environmental studies.

Participants agreed that the dam should be retired because it has outlived its usefulness. It was built in 1948 to prevent floods and to store water for farmers and residents in the Ojai Valley. Today, it is nearly filled to the brim with mud and holds just 500 acre-feet of water.

“It can be stated categorically that it serves no flood-control purpose,” said Art Goulet, director of the Public Works Agency. “We would like to see this [dismantling project] progress.”

Environmentalists are concerned because the concrete wall acts as a 145-foot-tall barrier to endangered southern steelhead trout trying to reach 20 miles of prime upstream spawning grounds in Matilija Creek.

If the dam were dismantled, the population probably would rebound to about 2,000 adult steelhead, officials said. Removal would also allow sandy sediments to flow down the Ventura River and into the ocean, said Jerry Nowak, executive director of a beach erosion awareness group.

Beaches from Ventura to Point Mugu probably would widen by 30 feet, a process that would take several years, Nowak said. Formation of the task force demonstrates growing support for the dam’s removal. A majority of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors and the National Marine Fisheries Services already have expressed interest in the plan.

Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) has asked federal engineers to begin a study on how to remove the dam. Brian Miller, Gallegly’s chief of staff, said the $100,000 study is awaiting funding approval by Congress.