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Beginning the demolition of the San Clemente Dam

8/1/2015

5 Comments

 
I had the opportunity to have a first rate view of the first day of the demolition of the San Clemente Dam. I was there almost all day doing sketches and a small painting and lots of photos, video and sound recordings. I will be going there for the next few weeks to document the demolition as it continues.

It is strange feeling to see it being destroyed....so many man hours went into creating it ninety-four years ago. As far as structures go, it is  a graceful construction. But what a difference it will make for the river's health when it can flow unimpeded.
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Dam in its final hours (approximately 8:00 am, July 30, 2015 ) before the jackhammer comes to begin work on demolition.
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Jackhammer machine on its way to start demolition, July 30, 2015
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Started jack hammering this side at about 10:40 am.
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A smaller hoe ram (jackhammer machine) on its way to continue the job. Such a steep incline to travel! This picture was taken at approximately 2:30 pm....slow going to take the dam down...
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It is intriguing to watch the operators work...a precise job with such a large machine!
You have done such a good job personifying this huge dam that I am saddened by its demolition. I imagine all the memories that it holds expiring as the concrete falls....  Diane Berthoin-Hernandez




Thank you, Diane. It is an interesting idea to think of the stories embedded in the concrete and now being released in the dust and air...

5 Comments
Diane
7/30/2015 04:15:11 pm

You have done such a good job personifying this huge dam that I am saddened by its demolition. I imagine all the memories that it holds expiring as the concrete falls....

Reply
Frances Garneau
8/2/2015 01:39:03 pm

Thank God they're not using explosives. It's sad to see a piece of Carmel Valley history being torn down.
An aside, I have 2 beautiful enamels done by your mother. She was a friend of my step-mother.

Reply
paola link
8/2/2015 02:46:13 pm

Thank you, Frances, for checking out this posting and website. Yes, mixed emotions watching the dam being taken down and hard to believe it is actually happening even as I am there. Explosives would have had the potential to create more landslides on the far side of the dam...

Wonderful you have two of my mother's enamels! She brought much joy to people's lives with her work.

Paola

Reply
Ellen Dahle Wright
8/3/2015 11:03:27 am

No matter how beautifully made the corset, removing it will allow our wonderful little river to breathe normally again. Thank you for these updates!

Reply
paola link
8/3/2015 11:27:26 am

Thank you, Ellen. I like the way you express the sentiment for freeing the river! And thank you for checking out the blog and commenting!

Paola

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    Author
    Paola Berthoin is the designer/creator/publisher of  Passion for Place: Community Reflections on the Carmel River Watershed. Her focus is inspiring and educating people about the natural world through the arts. She is available to design your book, create (illustrate and write) interpretive materials for your watershed community, consult for healthy gardens, paint a commissioned painting of your favorite place in the Carmel River Watershed and beyond!


    When we allow wildness, our own spirit, to flourish within, we can also respect and allow nature’s spirit, the wild outside, to exist.
             - Paola Fiorelle Berthoin
                                                                                                                                                               

    Blog photographs, land art, and text © Paola Berthoin, unless otherwise noted. 
    All Rights Reserved.

    Picture
    Photograph © Marie Butcher

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