Tucked away on Malibu Canyon Road, a towering, forgotten structure disrupts the scenic landscape.
This 100-foot-tall dam, a relic from another era, blocks the natural flow of Malibu Creek.
Built nearly a century ago, it stands as a testament to an ambitious past but has become an ecological challenge in the present.
The Legacy of the “Queen of Malibu”
In 1926, May Rindge, a wealthy landowner known as the “Queen of Malibu,” commissioned the construction of the dam to supply water for her extensive ranch.
Determined to maintain control over her land, Rindge was also known for her intense battles to prevent infrastructure from intruding upon her property.
She even constructed a private railway to block the Southern Pacific Railway from running through her land.
While the dam served its purpose briefly, it quickly filled with sediment, and by the 1940s, it had become unusable, finally being decommissioned in 1967.
Environmental Impact and Ongoing Conservation Efforts
Over the decades, the dam has turned into a serious ecological obstacle, blocking critical sediment from reaching Malibu’s beaches and preventing the endangered Southern California steelhead from migrating through the creek.
According to Russell Marlow, a senior project manager with California Trout’s South Coast Region, the dam’s presence is significant, especially considering its location in densely populated Los Angeles County.
He highlights the dam’s impact on the local ecosystem, comparing it to the recently dismantled Klamath River dams in northern California, which had also obstructed salmon migration and degraded water quality.
A Silent Obstruction in Malibu Creek
With approximately 780,000 cubic yards of sediment trapped behind it, the Rindge Dam has cut off crucial sediment supplies that would naturally replenish Malibu’s eroding beaches.
As climate change accelerates coastal erosion, this sediment has become an increasingly valuable resource.
Additionally, the dam blocks the natural water routes that the endangered Southern steelhead rely on to migrate between freshwater and the ocean.
A Path to Removal: Long-Awaited Progress
Efforts to remove the dam began in 1992 with the Malibu Creek Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study.
However, due to the complexities of the project, progress has been slow. In 2020, a final report marked a milestone, advancing the project into the design phase.
The removal, anticipated to begin by 2028, will cost approximately $279 million.
As part of ongoing preparations, helicopters recently surveyed the dam’s sediment, which will be relocated to help restore Malibu’s beaches.
Marlow describes the gradual removal process, which involves lowering the dam in stages and clearing sediment and vegetation to avoid disrupting the creek’s seasonal flow.
A Major Transformation in Los Angeles County
Marlow believes that the project represents a “transformative, landscape-level change” happening right in the heart of the Los Angeles area.
Once removal begins, locals will be able to witness one of the largest dam removal projects in North America from the side of the road, offering a rare glimpse into a major environmental restoration effort.
As the project moves forward, the Rindge Dam stands on the cusp of becoming part of history, allowing Malibu Creek to flow freely for the first time in nearly a century.
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