San Clemente Dam Removal

San Clemente Dam Removal

Dam removal and carmel river restoration

In 2015, the historic San Clemente Dam in Monterey County was removed — the largest dam removal in California history at the time. Built in 1921, the dam had outlived its purpose, filled nearly to the brim with sediment, and blocked steelhead trout from reaching their spawning grounds.

Leading the habitat restoration design and implementation for this landmark project, RANA restored 62 acres across nine habitat zones, from wetlands to uplands, using a detailed, site-specific planting design that considered slope, aspect, soil hydrology, and microclimate. We cultivated 90,000 container plants, installed 14,000 live willow stakes, and seeded with locally collected mixes.

This restoration reconnected 25 miles of river to the Pacific, providing unimpaired access for threatened steelhead, improving habitat for the California red-legged frog, restoring natural sediment flow, and reducing erosion.

LOCATION

Carmel Valley, CA (Monterey County)

CLIENT

California American Water

COMPLETED

2020