San Clemente Dam, Concrete arch dam in Monterey County, United States.

San Clemente Dam was a concrete arch dam that crossed the Carmel River near San Clemente Creek in Monterey County, California. The structure was removed in 2015, and the site is now a restored river corridor.

The dam was built between 1918 and 1921 to supply water to the Monterey Peninsula. Over the following decades, sediment filled the reservoir and reduced its storage capacity considerably.

The removal of the dam changed how people in California think about the relationship between water supply and river health. Along the Carmel River today, you can see signs of recovery in the banks and surrounding vegetation.

The site is located in Monterey County and can be reached from a few access points, though trail conditions vary depending on the season and recent rainfall. Checking current access information before you go is a good idea.

The reservoir once held 1,425 acre-feet of water, but by 2008 sediment had cut that to about 70 acre-feet. Roughly 380,000 cubic yards of sediment had to be dug out of San Clemente Creek and moved to a holding area on the Carmel River before demolition could proceed.