Built on the ancestral lands of the Chumash, Fernandeno, and Gabrielino/Tongva people, Rindge Dam is an obsolete concrete structure located three miles from the Malibu coast. The dam was built in the 1920s for local water supply and decommissioned in 1967. It is currently owned and managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR) as part of Malibu Creek State Park. Malibu Creek watershed is an important ecological corridor for the region that links Santa Monica Bay, Malibu Lagoon, and riparian systems. Rindge Dam has impacted the ecological integrity of this watershed by impounding 780,000 cubic yards of sediment, which prevents natural beach nourishment along the coastline; fragmenting habitat for multiple aquatic and terrestrial species; and acting as a total barrier for the federally endangered Southern steelhead.
CDPR and its federal, Tribal, state, and local partners studied dam removal alternatives and completed a feasibility study in 2020 that resulted in an Integrated Feasibility Report. The Locally Preferred Plan was selected for Rindge Dam removal, which was built on technical studies and local stakeholder input. The planning, engineering, and design (PED) phase is the exciting next step and will chart a path forward to remove Rindge Dam and restore Malibu Creek watershed’s ecological integrity.
CDPR has released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to select a primary contractor to lead the technical team for the PED phase. This project presents an extraordinary opportunity to be a part of systemic and sustainable ecosystem restoration in southern California. Contractors interested in this opportunity may view the RFQ at https://caleprocure.ca.gov/event/3790/0000023448. Statements of Qualifications are due by 2:00 PM on July 1, 2022.
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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.