Impacts of Building a Dam
Human and Community Impacts
Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul
- Edward Abbey
Did you know that building a new dam will gravely affect the lives of children and their families?
Constant noise, rock crushing, etc.
Hazardous traffic conditions for commuters, school buses, ambulances, fire trucks, etc.
Dust, dirt, and debris caused by construction
24-hour lighting of construction site
90,000 trees and shrubs will be destroyed (drowned or slashed)
Many sites sacred to the Esselen Indians will be lost
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Bobbi Chapel, with Charity Crane and Vicky Scardina, are Cachagua grandmothers who have read the thousands of pages in the Environmental Impact Report on the New Los Padres Dam. They are concerned about the possible destruction of community, families, and hazardous traffic conditions. |
"3 Grandmothers" © 1999 Kira Carrillo Corser
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Jack Swanson, a famous cowboy painter and sculptor and his wife Sally Swanson live and work very near the proposed dam area. |
"Jack and Sally" © 1999 Kira Carrillo Corser
Cachagua Community Center and it's surrounding community will be subjected to continual blasting, huge trucks, burning of scrubs, cutting of trees, noise and dust, and danger. These families will lose their surroundings as a healthy environment in which to raise their children. Many feel it will devastate the lives of children and families living nearby.
 "Fiona Marie" © 1999 Peter Hughes |
"I used to live in Pacific Grove.
Here is much better, we have a touch of everything, snow, rain, hotness.. . . life
changed.. . . I have a lot more friends, hiking, swimming. I am the key and Cachagua is
nature and my key fits perfectly into the keyhole here. I can't really fit in the city,
but I fit perfectly out here. My mom says "if they build the dam we will move, if
they don't we will live here forever".
- Fiona Marie O'Neill |
"I can't afford to go anywhere else. I grew up here, all I've ever wanted is something small and simple, and that's what I have here." - Raymond Allaire
Sculptor, resident of Prince's Camp
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