For nearly a century, the 106-foot San Clemente Dam blocked steelhead trout from spawning in California’s Carmel River. Built between 1918 and 1921 for water supply, the dam endangered fish populations, dropping from about 1,350 in 1965 to just 249 by 2013, and posed earthquake risks.
In 2013, crews began dismantling the dam, completing the project in November 2015. A 2023 study found that, six years post-removal, there was no major downstream damage. Sediment release was managed, allowing the river’s habitat to recover without catastrophic impacts. This removal reconnected 25 miles of spawning ground for steelhead and revitalized other wildlife, such as the California red-legged frog.
The project serves as a relevant model for the U.S., showing that careful dam removal can restore ecosystems without causing harm, as aging dams are increasingly decommissioned.
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