The new photo site is located on the coast access stairs that lead to the beach east of Malibu Pier. Public participation at this new location will help build a robust data set to monitor shoreline conditions before, during, and after the historic dam removal project.
Visitors to Malibu Creek State Park and Malibu Lagoon State Beach have been actively participating in the program since it was launched in Spring 2024. The community science program is an important part of the MCERP’s current pre-construction, engineering, and design (PED) phase. We are working toward removing Rindge Dam and rebuilding ecological resiliency to a key watershed in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Once completed, the project will restore creek ecosystem functions and increase habitat connectivity for native species. Removing Rindge Dam will restore access to 15 miles of stream habitat for the endangered southern California steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), improve climate resiliency, and restore natural sediment transport processes that will nourish our beaches.
“Rindge Dam will start coming out in the next few years. Individual people collecting data during this time and joining the restoration community is a critical part. These photos will directly inform the growing scientific understanding of the positive benefits of dam removal but they will also tell an amazing story about new beginnings,” said Russell Marlow, CalTrout's South Coast Regional Manager.
The removal of the Rindge Dam is being led by Malibu Creek State Park. The community science monitoring program is funded by Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) focused on dam removal and river restoration in the American West, and the Dorrance Family Foundation focused on improving the quality of life in communities by supporting education and natural resource conservation.
To learn more about the Community Science program and all locations visit www.restoremalibucreek.org/community-science.
To obtain more program and project information, visit www.parks.ca.gov/MCERP. To sign up for email notifications or for questions about the project, email restoremalibucreek@parks.ca.gov.
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Peter Moyle is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, at UC Davis. He is author or co-author of more than 240 publications, including the definitive Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is co-author of the 2017 book, Floodplains: Processes and Management for Ecosystem Services. His research interests include conservation of aquatic species, habitats, and ecosystems, including salmon; ecology of fishes of the San Francisco Estuary; ecology of California stream fishes; impact of introduced aquatic organisms; and use of floodplains by fish.
Robert Lusardi is the California Trout/UC Davis Wild and Coldwater Fish Researcher focused on establishing the basis for long-term science specific to California Trout’s wild and coldwater fish initiatives. His work bridges the widening gap between academic science and applied conservation policy, ensuring that rapidly developing science informs conservation projects throughout California. Dr. Lusardi resides at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and works closely with Dr. Peter Moyle on numerous projects to help inform California Trout conservation policy. His recent research interests include Coho salmon on the Shasta River, the ecology of volcanic spring-fed rivers, inland trout conservation and management, and policy implications of trap and haul programs for anadromous fishes in California.
Patrick Samuel is the Conservation Program Coordinator for California Trout, a position he has held for almost two years, where he coordinates special research projects for California Trout, including the State of the Salmonids report. Prior to joining CalTrout, he worked with the Fisheries Leadership & Sustainability Forum, a non-profit that supports the eight federal regional fishery management councils around the country. Patrick got his start in fisheries as an undergraduate intern with NOAA Fisheries Protected Resources Division in Sacramento, and in his first field job as a crew member of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Wild and Heritage Trout Program.