Removing Matilija Dam:
- Why Remove Matilija Dam?
- Objectives
- Benefits from Removal
- Impacts: Habitat
- Impacts: Sediment
- Matilija Dam spilling
Feasibility Study:
Early Progress:
Background Information:
About the Matilija Coalition:
For related news on the Ventura River Watershed be sure to see the blog at http://venturaecosystem.blogspot.com
Override of water bill veto aids dam
By Michael Collins for the
Ventura County Star
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
WASHINGTON Federal approval for Ventura County's plans to tear down the Matilija Dam finally appears within sight.
The House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to override President Bush's veto of a popular bill that authorizes hundreds of water resources and flood-control projects across the country, including the Matilija Dam project near Ojai.
The Senate is likely to follow suit, possibly as early as today, marking the first time in Bush's presidency that lawmakers have overridden one of his vetoes.
Bush vetoed the bill last Friday, arguing that its $23.2 billion cost was fiscally irresponsible. But lawmakers, including a number of Republicans, said the legislation was long past due and noted that it had been seven years since the last water-resources bill was passed.
The House vote to overturn the veto was 361-54, well over the two-thirds majority needed. "The president's veto of this strong bipartisan bill that will enhance the safety and security of millions of Americans was irresponsible," said Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara. "I am proud Congress is taking quick action to override the veto and ensure that these critical infrastructure projects move forward."
Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, was among the 138 Republicans who voted to override the president's veto.
Ventura County has been trying for years to win federal approval for the Matilija Dam removal. The project has been talked about for at least a decade, and it has been six years since the county signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a feasibility study.
The federal legislation, known as the Water Resources Development Act, authorizes spending $144.5 million for the dam removal and restoration of the Ventura River. The federal government's share would be $89.7 million.
County Supervisor Steve Bennett said the project is important because it involves much more than removal of the dam.
"It's a full ecosystem restoration project, which means it will return the Ventura River as much as possible back to its natural state," Bennett said. "And that has tremendous benefits for Ventura County.
"More sand deposition at the mouth of the Ventura River will stop some of the erosion problems we have there with the bike path. It also means more sediment deposits all along the river, which will decrease the scouring effect of the river."
The Matilija Dam was built
more than five decades ago and is now considered obsolete, with 95 percent
of its water capacity choked by 6 million cubic yards of sediment. The
dam removal project is in the design phase.
September 4, 2007 - Arundo eradication begins this week
The first step in the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration project begins this week, with the Arundo eradication program. Work will begin in Matilija Canyon, starting in the reservoir area above the dam, and will utilize foliar spraying of herbicide. The intent is to move to the headwaters and "get" all the Arundo in Matilija Creek before moving downstream as far as the Highway 150 bridge. Over 200 acres of this weed have been identified in the watershed.
Although just about everyone recognizes there is some negative impact of herbicide application, the long term goals are to save water, reduce flooding and fire hazards, and restore the native habitat. The eradication program will use "BMP's" (Best Management Practices) intended to minimize overspray and water contact. The Matilija Coalition and Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper played an active role in ensuring these BMP's were included in the plan.
For the remainder of the year, Stream Team water monitoring in Matilija Creek and downstream will include sampling for "glyphosate," the active ingredient in Rodeo, a version of Roundup herbicide approved for use near water. We hope our samples come up negative, but if herbicide is detected in the river the operations will be modified and carefully monitored.
For more information on the
eradication plan and water quality monitoring see http://matilijadam.org/reports.htm
For the Matilija Coalition 2001 Field Survey see http://pages.sbcglobal.net/pjenkin/matilija/arundo.htm
Cooincidentally, this week's
"High Country News" has an article about weed control that is
relevant to the situation in the Ventura River - http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=17192
June, 2007
Final Design Begins on Matilija Dam Project
The Matilija Dam project is moving forward, with dam removal scheduled for 2013. However, there are many components to this big project, each requiring detailed engineering design work. Among these are two bridges, a new levee, sediment management, and water supply facilities.
On June 12-14, 2007, an engineering study was conducted on the first of these components, a High Flow Bypass for the Robles Diversion Dam water supply facility, located 2 miles downstream from Matilija Dam. Even under current conditions, the Robles facility traps large quantities of sediment, making diversion of water into Lake Casitas difficult until flows recede and heavy machinery can clean out the diversion. Because removal of Matilija Dam will increase sediment transport during flood events, a "High Flow Bypass" modification to the existing diversion dam is included in the project to pass these sediments downstream. The Feasibility Study proposed constructing a radial gate in the diversion dam that will be opened during high flows, greater than 7,000 cubic feet per second. (During these occasional floods, one can actually hear the cobbles and boulders rolling down the riverbed!)
The three day engineering study
included brainstorming to identify alternatives to the feasibility level
proposal, which located gates on the east bank of the river. Some of the
alternatives included different locations or different types of gates
to optimize sediment flows. The "Value Engineering Study for the
Robles Diversion High Flow Bypass" will be posted on the matilijadam.org
website. Similar studies will be conducted for each of the project components.
April 2007: Matiilja Dam Removal Update by Paul Jenkin
The Ventura County Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation first began advocating for the removal of Matilija Dam way back in 1994. Our first action was to print the bumper sticker, "Give a Dam, Free the Sand, Grow the Beach." Now, thirteen years later, the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project has become a national model for watershed restoration, with the first actions to begin this summer.
A federal Feasibility Study was completed in December 2004, and the project is now in the final design phase. Throughout most of 2005, the government agencies were finalizing agreements and schedules for the detailed design, expected to take three years.
The first projects to be implemented will be construction of new wells at Foster Park, and eradication of the non-native Arundo donax, or giant reed, which has infested the watershed. Ventura County has received funding to do this in the summer of 2007. Construction of the other downstream components will follow in coming years, including bridges and levees, and modifications to water supply facilities to mitigate for increased sediment transport down the river. Actual removal of the dam will be the final phase of the project, and is currently slated for 2012.
Of course, all of this work carries a hefty price tag, requiring State and Federal funding totaling over $100 million. This may sound like a lot of money, but to put it in perspective the new Highway 101 Bridge over the Santa Clara River cost over $100 million. For comparison, the Matilija Dam project includes two bridges, several levee upgrades, water supply infrastructure, plus the management of over 6 million cubic yards of sediment. A huge undertaking, with the lofty goal of restoring sediment supplies to the beach as well as providing free passage for the endangered steelhead trout.
In 2005, the State of California continued its strong support for the project, including endorsement and approval of $2 million by the Ocean Protection Council. This money will be appropriated through the State Coastal Conservancy, and amounts to the entire local match for the $8 million final design. In addition, Ventura County secured $5 million in State grants for the construction of the Foster Park wells and Arundo donax management in the upper watershed.
The Federal funding outlook is less secure. The Matilija Dam project is included in both the House and the Senate version of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) which would authorize funding for the $70 million federal share of the dam decommissioning project. We are expecting Congress to address WRDA this year, which would authorize the project for federal funding. Recent press exposed the Bush Administration's lack of support for this project, but there is reason for optimism as the political winds shift in Washington.
In the meantime, the Matilija Coalition is engaged in other watershed activities, including the County "Integrated Regional Watershed Management Program." There is now a Ventura River Watershed Council, and we encourage you to find out more about this and get involved as we move forward with our restoration of the Ventura River. For more info please visit www.watershedscoalition.org
Get involved in your watershed! Volunteer opportunities: www.stream-team.org
Timeline:
September 6, 2006 - A $5 million
state grant was approved to pay for preparation work needed to remove
Matilija Dam.
July 21, 2006 - Matilija Dam "Design Oversight Team" met to discuss the Current Tasks: Mapping, Biological Opinion (NMFS), Foster Park Well Design, Arundo Removal Plan, Draft Hydraulic/Sediment Model
April 13, 2005 COMMITTEE APPROVES $127 MILLION REQUEST FOR MATILIJA CREEK RESTORATION - Federal funding for project included in water resources bill (WRDA)
January, 2006 - County and Corps held a "kickoff" meeting to get the final design process underway. Under the current schedule, there is $8 million of final design work to be done before actual dam removal may begin in the 2009-2012 time frame.
October 2005 - Local Ventura Surfrider member and activist Paul Jenkin recently travelled to Japan, where he visited local beaches and watersheds suffering similar problems to Ventura's coastline... beach erosion, and dams filled with sediment.
September 23, 2005 - CALIFORNIA OCEAN PROTECTION COUNCIL endorses Matilija Dam project and allocates $2 million to final design costs.
July 13, 2005 - County Supervisors sign seven year, $8 million Final Design agreement between the county Watershed Protection District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Design will take until 2009, with deconstruction completed in 2012.
December 20, 2004 - Chief of Army Corps of Engineers forwarded completed Feasibility Study to the Secretary of the Army for final approval. With a completed final Feasibility Study the project was ready for final design beginning in 2005.
December 14, 2004 - Ventura County Board of Supervisors certified the NEPA/CEQA document.
July 28, 2004 - Public Meeting on Draft Feasibility Study and EIR
June 2004 - Draft Feasibility Report released for a public review
News: See recent news articles below.
House authorizes Matilija Dam removal
Similar bill will be up for Senate vote next month
By Michael Collins, Ventura County Star
Friday, April 20, 2007
WASHINGTON After years of disappointment, Ventura County officials believe they may be close to reaching a milestone in their efforts to tear down Matilija Dam near Ojai.
The House voted Thursday to authorize spending $144.5 million for the dam removal and restoration of the Ventura River.
Over in the Senate, another bill that would authorize the project already has cleared the Environment and Public Works Committee. The full Senate is expected to approve the legislation by the end of May.
Similar legislation cleared both chambers last year but died before a conference committee could resolve differences in the two versions.
This year's bills also will have to go before a conference committee. But with the new Congress just a little more than three months old, Ventura County officials believe there will be plenty of time for lawmakers to come up with a compromise acceptable to the House and the Senate.
"I think we're much more likely to get it (the bill) through this year," said Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett.
The Matilija Dam project is in two broader pieces of legislation known as the Water Resources Development Act, which deals with waterways and lakes across the country.
The water projects bills do not actually provide money for the dam removal; they merely authorize Congress to spend federal money on the project. The actual funding would be subject to an annual appropriation by Congress.
Still, getting congressional authorization for the project would be a significant milestone that must be passed before the removal and restoration work can begin.
Matilija Dam was built more than five decades ago and is considered obsolete, with 95 percent of its water capacity choked by 6 million cubic yards of sediment.
"The massive buildup of sediment behind Matilija Dam is causing numerous environmental problems, including beach erosion and threats to steelhead trout," said Rep. Lois Capps, a Santa Barbara Democrat who got the dam removal included in the House water projects bill.
Congressional authorization of the project "will help ensure that the complete removal of the dam is carried out in a safe and environmentally sound manner," Capps said.
The project is in the design phase, with removal of the dam slated for sometime between 2010 and 2012, said Sue Hughes, Ventura County's legislative analyst.
Total cost of the project is estimated at $144.5 million. The federal
government's share would be $89.7 million. Local agencies would pick up
the rest. The county is working with the California Coastal Conservancy
to secure additional funding for the project, Hughes said.
Ventura River Is Undammed If They Get OK, Dammed If They Don't
Efforts to remove Matilija Dam still await congressional approval. And the project is still not out of the weeds, so to speak.
By Catherine Saillant, Times Staff Writer
September 10, 2006
Two foes stand in the way of restoring the Ventura River to a free-flowing state: bureaucratic infighting over removal of the upstream Matilija Dam and the ever-hardy Arundo weed.
Six years after a Clinton administration official removed a ceremonial chunk of the 198-foot-high dam north of Ojai, Congress has yet to authorize efforts to take down the obsolete structure.
A fragile agreement between government agencies and environmentalists about how best to remove it is beginning to fray.
And then there's that Arundo.
The invasive cane grows 20 feet tall, hogs water and chokes out native plant life along the Ventura River, officials say. Every bit of it has to go before the dam can be dismantled.
Supporters of removing the dam say the marathon patience needed to see the project through will pay off.
"It might be 15 years before you finish the whole project," said Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett, whose district includes the dam. "But in the end, it will benefit of lot of people.''
Bruce Babbitt, who was then Interior secretary, made much the same point when he removed an 8-ton piece of the dam with a crane in October 2000. He promised that the federal government would do its part to make the $130-million project happen.
Across the U.S., dams that no longer serve a useful purpose are being removed to restore rivers and reestablish ecosystems. At 198 feet tall and 600 feet wide, Matilija is one of the largest slated for removal.
The silt-clogged structure no longer serves a useful purpose, federal studies found. Its removal would restore the steelhead fishery to the Ventura River and replenish sand at Ventura's beaches.
A little-known benefit, according to Bennett, is the likelihood that upgrades to water pumps and wells that are part of the project will save Ventura and Ojai ratepayers the future cost of paying for them.
This week, for instance, the state gave Ventura County $5 million to relocate two water wells used by the city of Ventura. Grant money will also be used to remove the voracious Arundo canes, said Jeff Pratt, director of the Ventura County Watershed Protection Agency.
Arundo replicates through tough, fibrous rhizomes deep in the soil, so workers will begin removing it high above the dam to prevent its spread during floods, Pratt said. Arundo removal is an important step in restoring natural vegetation to the river, he said.
The project has, until recently, enjoyed remarkable support from a long list of government agencies and environmental groups involved in the demolition.
After much debate, the agencies agreed in 2004 to remove 2 million cubic yards of silt through a slurry pipe, reinforce or build new levees to handle increased water flows downstream, and then remove the 8-foot-thick concrete face.
The Arundo removal will be the first phase, Pratt said. But the work may be slowed by a dispute between the Army Corps of Engineers, the lead agency on the project, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, he said.
In the spring, the Fisheries Service said it needed more information before issuing its biologic analysis of the project, Pratt said. The Corps of Engineers contends it has provided more than enough information, he said.
Meanwhile, work cannot get started until the disagreement is resolved.
"It can slow it down," Bennett said. If the Fisheries Service "doesn't give the biologic opinion, the Army Corps can't move forward."'
Daryl Buxton of the Army Corps of Engineers' Los Angeles office said his agency has requested three times that the study get underway. It will take at least four months to complete, he said.
"That takes us to January, and as of yet, they still have not notified us that it has started," he said.
National Marine Fisheries' officials could not be reached for comment.
The project also is awaiting formal authorization by Congress and President Bush.
It is contained in a federal water bill that has been held up for several years, said Sue Hughes, a Ventura County legislative analyst.
A conference committee is working on a final version of the Water Resources Development Act, and it's expected to go to the president this year, Hughes said.
After the project is authorized, local officials and the involved agencies will have to lobby the federal government each year for appropriations. Because of the enormous costs, the project cannot be completed without a two-thirds share coming from federal sources, Bennett said.
"It's going to be very much dependent on getting help from Congress,"
he said.
Vandalism blamed for dead fish
Water diversion may have killed endangered steelhead
By Zeke Barlow zbarlow@VenturaCountyStar.com
April 7, 2006
The first curious thing that Rich Handley noticed as he hiked toward the Ventura River on March 26 was that there was no sound of running water echoing through the hills near Ojai.
The second was the stench of dead fish.
"It was dry, dry, dry," Handley said of the river, which runs through an Ojai Valley Land Conservancy preserve where he’s the manager.
The river had dried up within hours, leaving clusters of dead fish on the rocky river bottom. Handley had seen it all before.
For the third time in three years, the Ventura River, prime habitat for federally endangered steelhead trout, had unexpectedly run dry below the Robles Diversion Dam. The structure, maintained by the Casitas Municipal Water District, diverts water to Lake Casitas to be stored for later sale. It’s also the site of a controversial $9 million fish ladder designed so steelhead can swim past the diversion during their migration.
Environmentalists see the cumulative episodes as an example of the district’s
general lack of interest in providing a healthy steelhead habitat. The
district long fought building the fish ladder and last year filed a lawsuit
against the federal government, seeking reimbursement for water it’s
mandated to send downriver.
County supervisors approve pact, a key step in removing Matilija Dam
By Kathleen Wilson, kwilson@VenturaCountyStar.com
July 13, 2005
The effort to take down Matilija Dam -- which could be the most costly and complicated removal of a dam in American history -- moved forward Tuesday when an agreement to design the project was approved.
County supervisors approved the pact between the county Watershed Protection District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers without debate.
Jeff Pratt, director of the Watershed Protection District, said the approval is a key step in the effort to remove the dam and restore the ecosystem.
Located north of Lake Casitas, the 1947 dam stands 190 feet high and is holding back millions of cubic yards of sediment from tiny particles to boulders the size of beach balls.
Engineers say that sediment has rapidly reduced the ability to store a significant amount of water for future use; a reservoir basin is due to be filled with sediment by 2040.
The design phase alone is expected to cost $8 million, a cost to be shared by the district, the California Coastal Conservancy and the Corps of Engineers. The local district would pay $400,000, the conservancy $1.6 million and the federal government the rest, a county document shows.
Most of the federal funding is still in question, but Congress approved $250,000 this year. Officials hope for an additional $800,000 next year.
Once that's completed, the cost of actually doing the project is estimated at $130 million.
Supervisor Steve Bennett told his colleagues the project passed another key hurdle when no lawsuits were filed after supervisors certified an environmental review late last year.
"We are getting closer and closer to making this a reality," he said.
Environmentalists say the obsolete dam has robbed beaches of fresh sand and prevented endangered steelhead trout from migrating to spawning grounds. The Ventura River system once supported 4,000 to 5,000 spawning steelhead, but fewer than 100 of the fish remain, a review of the project says.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Los Angeles Daily News
Taxpayer group knocks $10.6 billion water bill
By Lisa Friedman
Staff Writer
Friday, July 15, 2005 - WASHINGTON -- A $10.6 billion water bill headed for Senate approval this month is laden with Southern California projects that a watchdog group is calling "pork" but local lawmakers are hailing as vital priorities.
Among the state projects are $130 million to remove the Matilija Dam north of Lake Casitas, $20 million to improve water infrastructure in Sierra Madre and Arcadia, $7 million for flood control in Palmdale, and funds for several groundwater remediation studies in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
The House passed the bill 406-14 Thursday. The Senate is expected to overwhelmingly support it.
"At a time of staggering budgets and deficits, it is outrageous that Congress is picking projects based on politics and committee assignments rather than actual economic need," said Keith Ashdown, spokesman for the D.C.-based Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Southern California lawmakers, however, maintained that the bill will give much-needed help to local water officials.
"With more and more people calling Southern California home, we need to be smart about how we manage our water supply," said Rep. David Dreier, R-Glendora. "Local leaders are making huge progress in their efforts, and I believe this federal support will only enhance benefits for all of our communities."
One of the largest state projects is removal of the Matilija Dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates it will kick in $78.9 million over several years for the project about 70 miles from Los Angeles.
"This is the first step of a long and involved process that will unfold over several years before Matilija Dam has been deconstructed," said Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Thousand Oaks, who worked for the project's inclusion in the water bill.
U.S. Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Santa Clarita, secured a promise of up to $7 million for two Palmdale projects aimed at protecting downstream properties like Air Force Plant 42 and improving flood-control.
McKeon and Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, also demanded federal studies of perchlorate contamination throughout the region after cities discovered the rocket fuel ingredient had seeped into the groundwater basins.
In San Bernardino County, Congress did not authorize a specific funding level but called on the government to study the possible creation of water supply projects for Rialto, Fontana and Colton.
McKeon increased funding levels for perchlorate studies in Santa Clarita from $7 million to $10 million.
Baca's projects also include: federal support to study flood-control needs in the Lytle Creek; up to $7 million to install a missing drainage system in Colton; and up to $7 million that he secured along with Rep. Gary Miller, R-Brea, to build storm drains in south Ontario.
Dreier's projects, in addition to funds for Sierra Madre and Arcadia, also include: $13 million for storm drainage and flood control projects in Upland; and $5 million for groundwater quality and supply projects throughout the San Gabriel Mountain Foothill region.