Ventura River Restoration

Removing Dams & Securing Fish Passage

Matilija Dam Removal

Matilija Creek is a major tributary of the Ventura River. Historically, both waters provided miles of high-quality steelhead habitat. Matilija Dam, located on the creek, is a 190-ft. structure with a reservoir that is now filled with 6 million cubic yards of sediment. In its current state, the dam poses seismic/safety risks for downstream communities and completely blocks fish passage. CalTrout helped launch an initiative to remove the dam through the formation of the Matilija Coalition and is working with groups such as the Matilija Dam Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Over the past year, the TAC has completed a draft workplan addressing preliminary tasks for the removal of the dam.

Conservation Goal

  • Provide fish passage to historic spawning / rearing habitat through the removal of Matilija Dam.

Recent Accomplishments

  • In March 2013, based on recommendations in the workplan, a Request for Qualifications was sent to consultants addressing their ability to do the following: select feasible dam removal methods; generate order of magnitude cost estimates; create a mitigation plan to address sediment that would be temporarily deposited into Matilija Creek and the Ventura River; and generate sediment transport modeling.

What We Will Accomplish in 2013-14

  • Work with the Coalition to ensure that its work is completed in a timely fashion and that the removal of the dam proceeds as expeditiously as possible.

Robles Diversion

Through threatened legal action, CalTrout previously secured the construction of the Robles Fish Ladder on the Casitas Water Diversion Canal in the Ventura River. Thereafter, the National Marine Fisheries Service mandated certain flows to ensure fish passage at the ladder. Casitas sued the United States claiming that the government was illegally “taking” Casitas’ water by mandating flows and demanded compensation for its “taken” water. CalTrout was an Amicus party in the case (offering factual and legal arguments to assist the Court in reaching an appropriate decision).

Recent Accomplishments

  • We are pleased to report that the trial court ruled in favor of the United States, and its decision was affirmed on appeal. In March 2013, Casitas announced that it would not seek further judicial review; effectively, ending the litigation. This is a critical, precedent-setting legal victory that will have significant long-term impacts on steelhead recovery in that watershed and potentially many other watersheds.

Partner: Matilija Coalition

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