Big Dam Mistake

The LA Times reported that the Matilija Dam near Ojai now sports a giant pair of scissors and a dotted line across its face, thanks to some anonymous artists.

Their message, apparently, is that it's time for the dam to go.

Rewind to the year 2000 and you can hear the same call echoing through the canyons of the Ventura River. Life & Times reporter Philip Bruce found that even then, critics viewed the dam as a colossal mistake.

SoCal Rewind is an on-going series bringing you past reports on the issues of today. By drawing on KCET's extensive archive of Southern California news, culture and public affairs, we seek to inform current events by providing a little historical perspective, and maybe answer the question: Is there anything new under the SoCal sun?