Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of Visual Voices: The organizers of this project do not belong to any one political group. We are local artists concerned with the destructive damage a dam would cause. Many of us photograph or paint the landscape environment and are concerned with protecting and preserving the exceptional beauty of our Monterey Peninsula, our Native American cultural heritage sites, the lives of children and families threatened by dangerous circumstances, and of our planet's health and it's ability to sustain life.
How large is the proposed dam: The dimensions are somewhat staggering to the lay person, the height will be 282 feet and over a quarter of a mile long, which is 400 feet wider than the Hoover Dam. Click here to see how big.
Will the new dam help or cause more damage to the Steelhead population: The National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) stated in their comments to the dam's EIR that it will not help because "the ability of steelhead to access networks of smaller tributaries at higher elevations is far more important than having a steady flow in a single, low-elevation, mainstream channel." Moreover, the impact will be significant because "almost 60% of the Carmel Basin late-rearing juvenile habitats are above the proposed CRDRP [dam]." In May 2001, NMFS has stated in a letter to Cal-Am that they WILL NOT approve the dam since there is no way to mitigate further damage to the Threatened Steelhead's population.
Are there alternatives to a new dam: Yes. Numerous alternatives exist which will provide for a long-term solution to the area's water needs without this massive project. A few options include storage of excess winter runoff in existing underground aquifers, retrofitting of all local, state and federal buildings, requiring all golf courses to use reclaimed water for irrigation, build a small desal plant for drought reserve use only, connecting to the existing Central Valley Water Project pipeline from San Luis Reservoir and storing rain water in cisterns. A state law is required that a list of alternatives be prepared; this is known as Plan B. The final report has been issued. Click here for more information (follow link to documents).
What is the purpose of the new dam: Despite denials, the primary purpose of a new dam is to allow considerable growth in Carmel Valley and the Monterey Peninsula. The primary stumbling block growth advocates face, is lack of additional water to win approval for their development plan. Another purpose of the dam is to provide a source of water to make up for the unauthorized, excess Carmel River overdraw by Cal-Am.
Will the dam help the water shortage of the Monterey Peninsula area: No, it is unlikely that much or any of the additional water will allow a relaxation of current water restrictions. It is important to note that the proposed New Los Padres Dam would NOT provide water for either lots of record or remodels. It would NOT provide water for a future "wish list" of existing customers or potential customers. It is intended to cover the illegal water that Cal-Am has pumped since the state ruling in 1995.
Why are dams in general a very bad idea in this day and age: As the former head of the Bureau of Reclamation Daniel P. Beard stated in 1995 "the dam building era in the United States was now over". Dam proponents could no longer count on public or political support for construction of large dams. The opportunity for construction of new, large dams in the United States is now extremely remote, if not non-existent." In fact, dams are being dismantled all over the country. Sec.of the Interior, Bruce Babett has appeared with a sledgehammer at dams being dismantled around the country. The American Rivers website has excellent information about dams to help you decide as well as some very good information at the International Rivers Network.
What is a fair way to estimate costs for the alternatives to the dam: All costs have to be included in any cost estimate in order to give residents a complete understanding of the issue. According to John Brennen, a professional water engineer and president of Citizens for Alternate Water Solutions, "the Water District and Cal-Am have deliberately biased the alternatives analysis by including in each alternative package an expensive desal plant. Further, the costs of desal have overstated industry standards by at least 50%. Further, the costs of mitigation, monitoring, ancillary construction such as road and bridge work, have been left out of the dam cost estimate." Additionally, the cost given by Cal-Am, does not include the enormous cost of dismantling the dam after it is made obsolete by sediment build-up.Click here to get a more complete picture of all the costs of building a new dam.
Click here for more information
