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For Immediate Release:May 20, 2011 Contact: Monica Hunter

mhunter@pcl.org805-528-4496

San Clemente Dam to be RemovedCoastal Conservancy approves $4.5 million towards project

May 20, 2009, (Oakland) The California Coastal Conservancy yesterday approved $4.5

million in funding to remove the antiquated San Clemente Dam and to begin work to restorethe Carmel River.

San Clemente is the largest dam to ever be removed in California or in the country. Built in1921, the San Clemente Dam is located approximately 18.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean on theCarmel River. When it was originally constructed the reservoir held over 1,400 acre-feet ofwater. Today the reservoir is over 90% filled with more than 2.5 million cubic yards of sediment,leaving a reservoir storage capacity of approximately 125 acre-feet. The Department of WaterResources has declared the dam unsafe due to seismic concerns and the fact that an earthquakewould pose a huge safety risk, threatening 1500 homes downstream.

With this funding in place, the state is moving ever closer to removing this unsafe dam, saidMonica Hunter, Central Coast Advisor of the Planning and Conservation League Foundation.Restoring the Carmel River is a win-win for public safety, fish, and our coast.

Removing the dam will also aid in the recovery of a threatened species the Central CoastSteelhead Trout and reduce or slow beach erosion that now contributes to destabilization ofhomes and roads.

The proposal has gained widespread support from state and federal agencies and electedofficials including Assemblyman Bill Monning and Congressman Farr who have workedjointly to bring state and federal resources to support the project For the past seven years, the

Planning and Conservation League Foundation has worked in partnership with the CaliforniaCoastal Conservancy, and California American Water, the dams owner, to get this public-private project underway.The Conservancys approval of $4.5 million brings their total contribution to $7 million. TheWildlife Conservation Board will consider $7 million in funding on June 2, 2011. Damremoval is expected to get started in 2013 and be completed by 2016.

For more information visit: http://www.pcl.org/projects/carmelriver.html

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The PCL Foundation is a 501 (C) (3) organization working to protect the California environment and

to ensure that California continues to be an attractive, livable, and equitable state by engaging in

cutting-edge environmental public policy research and educating and empowering local communities.