Rindge Dam

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Malibu Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Rindge Dam is just visible at the lower right corner, mostly hidden by a bush.
Malibu Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Rindge Dam is just visible at the lower right corner, mostly hidden by a bush.

The 100 foot Rindge Dam is located in Malibu Creek State Park, about 3 miles from the coast of Malibu, California. It is below Malibu Canyon Road, beneath the Sheriff's Memorial, and goes unnoticed by most who drive on the road due to it being out of view of the road.

The endangered arroyo toad lives below the dam. The dam is also home to a huge mountain lion and is frequented by cliffdivers. The vertical cliffs rise up to 100 feet in the air over a nice deep year round pool in Malibu Creek State Park.

Looking up at the wet half of Rindge Dam after the 05 wet year..
Looking up at the wet half of Rindge Dam after the 05 wet year..

Photo Courtesy of 12 Feet Under @ Rindge Dam

The main arch of the Rindge Dam was completed in 1924. The spillway of the dam was finished in 1926. The dam is completely filled in with sediment, which creates a waterfall from Malibu Creek. The dam was built by May Knight Rindge who owned the Malibu Ranch at that time. The frame of the dam was constructed out of the rails of a 15 mile railroad that went through the Malibu Ranch, after it was dismantled.

Fish advocates have called for the dam's removal because it is blocking Steelhead trout from accessing the upper reaches of the Malibu Creek watershed.

The dam will possibly be removed, but no conclusive decision has been made yet. A video documentary about the dam was made in 2005, called The Malibu Dam.