San Clemente Dam Site

In the summer of 2015, after years of planning and three years of de-construction, the 95 year-old and 106 foot tall San Clemente Dam was removed on the Carmel River. The dam would have required extensive upgrades to meet earthquake safety standards which would have cost in the range of $55 million. At the time, San Clemente Dam removal was the largest dam removal project in California. Once blocked and disconnected, the Carmel River is now free-flowing allowing steelhead to access over 25 miles of spawning and rearing habitat upstream, letting sediment travel downstream to naturally replenish Carmel River beach, and resolving public safety issues associated with San Clemente Dam. A rapid is now present at the former dam site.