DAMS OUT - Matilija Dam

Matilija Dam located on the Ventura River watershed is listed as one of the Top 5 California dams to remove in our latest report. Originally designed for water storage and flood control, Matilija has filled with sediment over the years reducing water storage and rendering the dam obsolete.
Removing Matilija Dam will reconnect access to critical spwaning and rearing habitat for the endangered Southern California steelhead.
California Trout is working with other organizations, agencies, and communities to secure funding to remove the dam.
Learn more at caltrout.org/damsout

[@kekoamaunakea4473]

Matilija brings back fond memories of the snow and rushing creek water moving its way towards the ocean. Ojai and its Mountains have been a playground for me and My family&friends for decades grew up in those valleys and Mountains, from lions head to cherry creek, the deer lodge and the wheel restaurant. I hope this project makes it for the sake of a species that is well deserving. Aloha!!!

[@samshepperrd]

Ever see that old movie "Dambusters" ? About British in WW2 dropping a specialty designed bomb from a plane that blew up a dam. Couldn't cost thay much now that the concept has been proven.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Blowing up a dam is worst way to remove a dam because of the downstream damage to the flood and that vast amount of sediment coming down the stream all once.

[@samshepperrd]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 Most of the dams being removed are in relatively unpopulated areas. It's easy to inform and unsure no one is vulnerable whenever there's going to be a major water release. I believe they can usually empty the water gradually. Almost all of the dam material is removed. All this is of course very expensive and entirely safely conducted.

[@robertcalamusso1603]

Best of luck.

[@tonydeveyra4611]

thank you for your work

[@JamesCasatelli]

A 2000lb JDAM would take care of that pretty quick. Lot cheaper too.

[@BlackCeII]

The ventura river is dry most of the year. Steelhead couldnt make it to the damn most of the time.

[@robertjanko6709]

This river restauration works in europe with all salmonids like lax or seatrout. Lax is going up the rhine up to switzerland which has not happened for about 80 years now and the rhine has been an industrial wasteland. Of course you got to do restauration to the smaller rivers upstream so too. There is masses of videos about that on YT. Mr. Jimenez: "cum nescit tum orem tenit" like my latin teacher used to say. Translation: the one with lack of knowledge should keep his mouth shut.

[@skypieper]

Dams out baby!

[@smoothieboie7515]

REMOVE ALL DAMS IN CALIFORNIA

[@mjohnsimmons]

take the sediment out,,,,, it is sedimentary

[@stevenshay2855]

Have hiked Ventura river/Ojai Valley for over 20 years. Only a handful of times has water actually gone from mountains to sea. 90% of the time there are pools of river water and dozen miles empty river bed. Dam removal wont give us more water. Didn't they say we had a drought issue? Do you remember how much thew spent on the failed "Fish ladder"? How many millions for this project? Isn't the world supposed to end in 12 years? Green new deal? Politics? Follow the water? Follow the $$$

[@s.marcus3669]

Maybe if Californians stop drinking the Kool-Aid and boot Gavin Newsome from Sacramento, Governor Elder will restore pride in California and make it the "Golden State" once again...

[@stevenshay2855]

Save the Delta Smelt Minnow- farms and drinking water be damed. Politicians? Dems?

[@randellgribben9772]

@@stevenshay2855 so??? what speices should die off.. these steelhead? i vote you dog.. its worthless justs eats ans shits..

[@donaldschmenk4345]

Yeah remove a money well spent dam, to save some fucking fish...

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Didn't you pay any attention to the part where they said that sediment has filled up the reservoir making the dam useless? Removing the dam will also restore the health of the river which includes the fish. There are thousands of old dams around the country that have outlived their usefulness. Human beings need to learn WITH nature instead of acting like we are separate. Dams separate humanity from nature. Very few dams can be justified to remain any more.

[@randellgribben9772]

so tell me? what species should die off...these steelhead trout the salmons in the north state...? i pick you dog... all it does is eat and shit...not much else... if you believe in the bible.. it state mankind should protect the earth and the animals, that god gave us....i guess you thing god was wrong

[@RogerM88]

Now let the humans suffer then? With less green hydroelectric power, less water storage, and more prone to floods?

[@jesseq70]

You must have not watched the video

[@stevenshay2855]

Have hiked Ventura river/Ojai Valley for over 20 years. Only a handful of times has water actually gone from mountains to sea. 90% of the time there are pools of river water and dozen miles empty river bed. Do you remember how much thew spent on the failed "Fish ladder"? Isnt the world supposed to end in 12 years? Green new deal? Politics?

[@ftargr]

I love trout, but we need more water storage, not less.

[@tylergoodearly]

If you listen to CalTrout's message and do a literature review, you'd find that megadams are not the answer to water storage. We lose almost as much water as we consume from evaporation alone. Dams also decrease groundwater recharge. The problem really isn't water storage, but water usage. And also wetelands > dams. www.internationalrivers.org/resources/how-dams-affect-water-supply-1727 dec.vermont.gov/watershed/wetlands/functions/storage www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/restoring-damaged-rivers/dams-wont-solve-water-needs/

[@ftargr]

Tyler Goodearly trust me, there’s a lot more wetland habitat in in California with water storage and irrigation. Not sure the last time you drove around the state but huge areas are desert. If you want to spend money to protect fish that’s your choice, but don’t ask me to pay more for water or use a toilet that won’t flush properly.

[@ClimateOfHope]

The dam is almost completely silted up. It's not storing much water and it's not providing much flood protection.

[@brianronne2060]

Building more Dams is not the answer to water storage. A lot of them don’t even fill up to full capacity unless it is an extremely rainy year. Groundwater recharge is probably a top priority as it provides drinking water and is important for soil water content which supports plant/animal life. A lot of the water Southern California imports from the Colorado river, Owens river, and Northern California gets put into groundwater storage where it cannot evaporator. Both diverting water from streams and daming up streams has its environmental impacts. Best thing to do, reduce water consumption. Maybe in the future nobody will be able to flush a toilet

[@ftargr]

Brian Ronne how many toilets do you have in your house? Also, "ground water recharge" isn't a thing. Once the water comes out, the soil compresses and you can't do anything to raise it again.