Environmental Impacts
In Wildness is the preservation of the World.
- Henry David Thoreau
The proposed new dam will destroy 130 acres of natural habitat, including 23 acres of Federally designated wilderness, 27 cultural archeological sites of Esselen Indians and California Heritage and will devastate the lives of children and families.
"Creek Fall Color" © 1998 Robert Ellis
The Ventana Wilderness ... is a federally protected area that
straddles the Santa Lucia Mountains in the proposed dam area. The existing Los Padres dam
is an earthen dam with a concrete spillway that was constructed on the upper Carmel River
six miles above the San Clemente Dam in 1948.
"Wilderness" is a formal classification by Congress for an area of land that is
to be managed in such a manner as to preserve the area in its natural condition. The
residential ranches that adjoin it act as protective buffers against urbanization and it's
detrimental impact on wilderness animals, like the mountain lions, bobcats, deer, fox,
raccoon, snakes, etc.
"Bernardus Sheep" © 1999 Kira Carrillo Corser
In the foreground are sheep at Bernardus Vineyards, behind them live children and families at Princess Camp, and behind them is where the building of the new dam is proposed. We have super-imposed the new dam to the approximate scale.The concrete wall of the dam will be 282 feet high and approximately a quarter of a mile long (400 feet wider than Hoover Dam).
Why are hundreds of dams across the United States either decommissioned, or are in the midst of discussions on decommissioning?
- Dam Decommisioning, International Rivers Network
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