Federal authorities are demolishing a couple of dams Wednesday in the Silverado Canyon area because they have fallen so far into disrepair they are hazards and preventing a natural habitat from flourishing, but the work has raised concerns among residents in the area.
Residents appear to be mostly concerned about the work being done by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a partnership with the U.S. Marines, in which explosives are being used.
The dams, however, date back to the 1930s and no longer serve their intended purpose, Olivia Walker of the Cleveland National Forest said.
“They’re so old and haven’t been maintained for decades,” Walker said. “Just being around them, jumping off of them, all of these things are hazards.”
She added, “They don’t really serve a purpose to the environment. They’re not retaining water.”
The graffiti-covered dams are “keeping in crucial sediment that has to flow downstream to have a natural flow of water,” Walker said. That prevents “certain species” in the area from flourishing, she said.
“Fish can’t get upstream, frogs can’t get upstream and certain newts can’t get upstream,” Walker said. “These are things we can’t do until the dams are removed.”
Last night, one of the dams was removed and two more were being destroyed Wednesday in Silverado Canyon, Walker said.
The dams were created in the 1930s to “stock rainbow trout,” and additions were made in the 1970s, Walker said. The permit for the dams expired in the early 1990s, she added. “Nobody has maintained them since the 1980s,” Walker said. The rainbow trout in the area need to “jump upstream” to flourish, Walker said.
The swimming holes in the area enjoyed by residents and visitors could improve when the dams are removed, Walker said.
“Removing the dams alone won’t take away the swimming hole as they’re quite deep, but what it will do is alter them in some ways,” she said. “We’re not going to know the full extent they’re altered until the dams are gone. It could create more water holes that are deeper watering holes. We may see an increase in water flow, which is what we’re really hoping for.”
On Thursday, the focus will turn to dams in the Holy Jim area, Walker said. Workers hope to finish up by Friday as it is doubtful they could get a permit to work through the weekend in Holy Jim, which is a popular weekend destination, she added.
“We really want to let people know this is about ecological restoration and restoring the area to its former state, its more natural state,” Walker said. “It’s about bringing back in new species that haven’t been able to exist there for a while.”
For instance, officials want to introduce the Arroyo toad, which is an endangered species, Walker said.
Silverado Canyon is located in the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County.
— City News Service