Two miles upstream from Malibu Colony lies 1 million cubic yards of saturated sediments precariously perched behind an old 100-foot-high concrete wall that averages 6 feet thick. The concrete is almost 80 years old. It has numerous cracks and leaks, and its steel reinforcements are beginning to rust and corrode. There is no possible way this obsolete structure can survive large earthquakes that are certain to occur here sooner or later, which will shake the area much stronger than the 1971 Sylmar quake or the 1994 Northridge quake. Sediments behind the dam contain a large percentage of silt and fine sand, which, when saturated, tend to liquefy during earthquake shaking.
The Rindge Dam is a colossal public safety menace and should be removed as soon as possible. The benefits to Malibu Creek’s steelhead population are simply an added bonus of this urgent project.
Matthew Horns
Geology graduate student