Rindge Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rindge Dam |
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Rindge Dam, seen from Piuma Road
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| Location | Malibu Creek State Park |
| Coordinates | 34°03′53″N 118°41′58″W / 34.064594°N 118.699328°W |
| Opening date | 1924 |
| Owner(s) | May Knight Rindge, California Department of Parks and Recreation |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete thin arch |
| Impounds | Malibu Creek |
| Height | 100-foot-tall (30 m) |
The Rindge Dam is a 100-foot-tall (30 m) dam located on Malibu Creek in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. It sits inside Malibu Creek State Park, just northeast of Malibu Canyon Road. You can sometimes see parts of it from viewpoints south of the road's tunnel.
Contents
History of Rindge Dam
The Rindge Dam was built by workers hired by May Knight Rindge. She owned the large Malibu Ranch, which used to be called Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit.
How the Dam Was Built
The dam's frame was made using rails from a 15-mile railroad. This railroad, called the Hueneme, Malibu and Port Los Angeles Railway, was also built by May Rindge. The dam has two walls that were built into a natural rock formation in the middle of Malibu Creek. These walls only meet at the very top of the dam. The main concrete arch of the Rindge Dam was finished in 1924. The part of the dam that lets extra water flow over, called the spillway, was completed in 1926.
Changes Over Time
By around 1950, the area behind the dam, which was about 600 acres, had completely filled up with dirt and sand. This buildup now creates a waterfall where Malibu Creek flows over the dam. In 1976, the Rindge Dam became part of Malibu Creek State Park.
Why Remove Rindge Dam?
Many people want the Rindge Dam to be removed. This is mainly because it blocks Steelhead trout from swimming upstream to their natural breeding areas in the Malibu Creek watershed. Other people have tried to get the dam recognized as a special historical landmark in California, but this has not happened.
Dam Condition and Access
The Rindge Dam is owned by the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The structure has been in poor condition for many years. Because of its condition, the dam was closed off to the public in 2014 for safety reasons.
Plans for Removal
In 1992, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a study to look into removing the dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a plan in January 2017. This plan was called the "Malibu Creek Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study." It was estimated that tearing down the dam could cost as much as $80 million.
On March 9, 2018, the California Coastal Commission supported a plan to remove the Rindge Dam. This plan was created by the Army Corps of Engineers. It suggests removing the dam's arch and spillway. It also proposes removing about 780,000 cubic yards of sediment (dirt and sand) that has built up behind the dam.
Sediment Management
About 278,000 cubic yards of clean, sandy sediment would be taken by truck to Ventura Harbor. This sand would be tested for pollution. Then, it would be placed by a barge into shallow ocean waters near the mouth of Malibu Creek, east of Malibu Pier. The sand would be put there carefully to avoid harming nearby kelp beds. The goal is for this sand to eventually move towards the shore and down the coast to help rebuild nearby beaches. Any remaining sediment would be taken to the Calabasas Landfill.
Helping Fish Migration
The project also plans to change or remove other barriers that block fish. These barriers are mostly culverts (tunnels for water) under roads. They are found on Cold Creek and Las Virgenes Creek, which are smaller streams that flow into Malibu Creek upstream from the dam. Removing these barriers would help fish like steelhead trout move more freely. The entire project is expected to start in 2025 and take about eight years to finish.
Potential Risks
There are some risks linked to removing the dam. These include the chance of slopes becoming unstable where the dam and sediment are removed. There is also an increased risk of flooding downstream from the dam. People living downstream and the City of Malibu have shared their worries about these possible risks.
Other Dam Removal Efforts
In 2019, the group California Trout listed Rindge Dam as one of its top five dams to remove. Other dams on their list include Scott Dam on the Eel River, Matilija Dam near Ojai, four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, and Searsville Dam near Stanford University. The Matilija Dam, built in 1947, is also planned for removal. It is located in the Los Padres National Forest north of Ojai. This dam also blocks steelhead trout from reaching their spawning grounds. It was built to store water and control floods on Matilija Creek, but it no longer works for these purposes because it has filled up with silt.
