THE DAM

The 100-foot-tall Rindge Dam on Malibu Creek is located in Malibu Creek State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, about three miles upstream from Southern California’s Malibu coastline. Construction of the concrete dam and spillway structure was completed in 1926 on the Rindge family property and provided water for irrigation and household use in Malibu. The reservoir filled entirely with sediment by the 1940s, and the dam was decommissioned in 1967. It was purchased shortly thereafter by State Parks and is now part of Malibu Creek State Park.

Owner:

California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks)

Location:

Malibu Creek in Malibu

Completion Date:

Construction completed in 1926; Decommissioned in 1967

Size:

Height: 100 ft, Total capacity: 600-acre ft completely filled with sediment

Stakeholders:

California Dept of Parks and Rec, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Santa Monica Mountains Resource Conservation District, City of Malibu, Mountains Restoration Trust, Surfrider, Army Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.

Land Acknowledgment

Rindge Dam is located on the traditional lands of the Pipimaram (Fernandeño Tataviam), mitsqanaq’n (Ventureño Chumash) and Tongva (Gabrielino) people.

Fish Affected:

Remove the Dam, Restore the Watershed: Returning Malibu Creek to Santa Monica Bay

Get Involved, Take Action!

Help Endangered Southern California Steelhead: Attend public meetings about the project. Contact federal and state legislators with support for Rindge Dam removal. Follow media releases at caltrout.org. Donate to support Reconnecting Habitats.

Help Us

Learn More by Exploring Our StoryMap

Explore the Dams Out ArcGIS StoryMap created by our Communications Team. The StoryMap guides viewers on an interactive journey through each of the dams included in CalTrout's 2022 Top 5 Dams Out Report. Explore photos, videos, maps, and more content to learn why it is so crucial that we get these five dams out. Keep scrolling to view the StoryMap or click the button below to view the StoryMap in a new tab.



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