Los Padres Dam Alternatives Up for Consideration

The Los Padres Dam in Carmel Valley faces safety issues from flooding, sedimentation, and capacity leading to two primary alternatives being considered by MPWMD and CalAm: upgrade the dam or complete removal. Upgrading the dam includes heightening it and improving fish passage facilities to meet safety and ecological standards. However, this option comes with higher costs and sediment management challenges. The impact on the local steelhead population is crucial, as only 20% of juvenile steelhead currently navigate downstream successfully.

Alternatively, removing the dam presents a cost-effective solution, eliminating substantial operational expenses. However, it would result in the immediate loss of water storage, affecting dry season water release, though potential storage expansion could alleviate some concerns. Removing LP Dam water storage could harm steelhead during summer dryback on the River, and would also require finding new water rights for those associated with the reservoir. ​Dam removal is also expected to transform the area into a lush riparian valley, potentially enhancing the ecosystem yet presenting potential flooding concerns. This complex decision requires stakeholders to carefully weigh ecological, economic, and hydrological factors to determine the dam's future. Read more in the Los Padres Dam and Reservoir Alternatives and Sediment Management Study.

USFWS/John Heil