Guest opinion: Searsville Dam should go

This is really the beginning of the awakening of people and citizens to the notion that great dams like great walls (ala Great Wall, Berlin Wall, etc) do NOT serve the purposes they were largely intended for and in fact hinder life of all stages (insects, frogs, birds, fish, other wildlife, humans, and on and on). It takes a local legend like Dr Walter Bortz (and Ronald Reagan with the Berlin Wall) to make it known and apparent to the masses that it is an unenlightened way to live and exist in the natural world and order of life. Like Ronald Reagan said during his Presidency "tear down this wall" in Berlin, Dr Bortz is proclaiming "tear down this dam" here! Stanford (a Goliath) needs a David to tell them the obvious. It's time to wake up and let the natural rivers flow again.

Thank you for posting this excellent piece!

Stanford University is approaching a key decision point regarding the future of Searsville Dam--the upcoming announcement by Stanford's leaders represents one of the best opportunities in the U.S. to restore critically important wildlife habitat. Will Stanford continue to argue that its need for golf course irrigation water is greater than the needs of native wildlife? Or will the University finally acknowledge and address the harm that Searsville causes to the watershed and its most vulnerable inhabitants?

Stanford University should live up to its "sustainable" ideals by phasing out and removing the antiquated Searsville Dam and its sediment-choked reservoir. This long-term project will allow Stanford to reclaim and protect many miles of good quality habitat for native steelhead trout, which have been protected by the Endangered Species Act since the mid-1990s. Removing Searsville Dam will also create a rare opportunity for Stanford's researchers to conduct studies on the effects of dam removal and stream restoration. Stanford University is uniquely well-suited to manage a project of this scale, and the time has come for Searsville to go.

Please join Dr. Bortz and hundreds of others in urging Stanford to stand up for the watershed and its most vulnerable wildlife. Sign the petition at Web Link

The exciting thing about removing Searsville Dam, is not only the restoration of miles of habitat for steelhead trout. But it also opens the possibility for salmon to return to the creek. Salmon like steehead were once pretty much everywhere, and no doubt were a part of San Francisquito Creek as well. Removing Searsville Dam would be a damn good thing.