Carmel River Watershed Conservancy Board of Directors:

PO Box 223833, Carmel, CA 93922 Lorin Letendre, President

Michael Waxer, VP
Clive Sanders, Treasurer
Catherine Bowie, Secretary
Mary Jane Greg Pepping
Monica Hunter
Paul Bruno
Barbara Rainer


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E-mail: letendre@sbcglobal.net
Webpage http://www,carmelriverwatershed.org


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Carmel River NEWS

From the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy (CRWC)


Progress on Solutions to Carmel River
Lagoon and Barrier Beach Issues















(Google photo showing proposed site of EPB project)

Monterey County is making significant progress in
addressing the problems created by the barrier beach and
lagoon at Carmel River State Beach, by launching feasibility
studies for the proposed Ecosystem Protective Barrier
Project (EPB) and Scenic Road Preservation Project (SRP).
These two projects are designed to increase the water
volume and quality (and thereby the fish rearing habitat) in
the lagoon, to better protect the homes along the north side
of the lagoon from flooding, and to preserve Scenic Road as
a recreational corridor for residents and visitors.
The EPB Project is funded by a grant from the Wildlife
Conservation Board that was arranged by our Conservancy
and is being managed by Monterey County Water Resource
Agency (MCWRA). The SRP Project is funded by a grant
from the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District.
Project Director Tom Moss described the process as (1)
issuing the Request for Proposals, (2) staff review of the
proposals, (3) deciding on the best proposal, (4) contracting
with the chosen project proponent, and (5) obtaining
approval from the MCWRA Board of Directors.
The County has tentatively selected Whitson Engineers
as the Lead Consultant, which plans to include on its project
team: (a) Balance Hydrologics, which would handle the
hydraulic/hydrological analyses and civil engineering
design, and (b) Pacific Geotechnical Engineering, which
would handle geotechnical investigation, testing, analysis,
and reporting. These firms have considerable experience
and expertise in the Carmel River Lagoon, which will
expedite their work on these promising projects.
The projected date for approval by the MCWRA Board
of Directors is late April, after which the projects can get
underway in earnest.














March-April 2012 Vol. I, No. 5
San Clemente Dam Project Moves Forward
By Gabriela Alberola, Graduate Student - CSUMB Coastal and
Watershed Science and Policy Masters Program

In our last issue, we let you know about an important step
towards the removal of the San Clemente Dam: Bill AB 565 was
signed into law, authorizing State funding to be directly granted
to California American Water Company to directly fund the
implementation of the dam removal project. At this time, $18
million of state funding has been raised for the project and an
additional $7 million from the Department of Fish and Game is
expected to be secured this year. Together with the $1.4 million
of federal funds dedicated to the project, the public agencies
have now secured over 75% of the funding and expect to secure
the remainder by the end of 2012.
Funding however, is only one of the many aspects of the
project. As a major engineering undertaking, the San Clemente
Dam Removal and River Reroute Project involves detailed
designing and engineering to ensure that the river restoration
meets safety standards and provides essential habitat for
steelhead and other riparian species. In the past few months, the
project team has moved forward with soliciting qualifications
from several design-build teams to manage the final design and
construction of the project and are reviewing qualifications
carefully. The project team anticipates selecting the winning
contractor by fall of 2012.
Project permits have also been submitted to the appropriate
state and federal agencies. These permits will include
environmental compliance measures designed to minimize
impacts to the watershed environment and affected local species
during project construction. The following table summarizes the
most important permits and the expected date of completion of
each:

Permits or Consultations & Projected Dates
--Army Corps of Engineers-Wetland Delineation Verification:
Apr. 2012
--Fish & Wildlife Service-Endangered Species Consultation:
Through Aug. 2012
--National Marine Fisheries Service- Endangered Species
Consultation:Through Jul. 2012

(continued on page 2)


New Conservancy Web Site Highlights the Revival
of the Carmel River Task Force
The CR Task Force, composed of representatives from all of the
agencies and organizations with an interest in preserving the
Carmel River watershed, recently updated the Action Plan. For
the latest, go to:
http://carmelriverwatershed.org/carmel-river-task-force/

2
Mar-Apr 2012 Page 2

San Clemente Dam (cont.)
--California Office of Historic
Preservation-Section 106, National
Historic Preservation Act Compliance:
May 2011 through Nov. 2012
--Regional Water Quality Control
Board-Section 401 of the Clean Water
Act Certification:
Sep. 2011 through Jul. 2012
--Army Corps of Engineers-Habitat
Mitigation and Monitoring Plan:
Dec. 2011 through Mar. 2012
--Army Corps of Engineers-Section 404
of Clean Water Act Permit:
Sep. 2011 through Aug. 2012
--Department of Fish & Game-Section
1600 Streambed Alteration Notification:
Sep. 2011 through Jan. 2013
--Monterey County-Permitting Process:
Apr. 2012 through Aug. 2012
The San Clemente Dam Removal and
River Reroute Project is a joint effort of
the California American Water Company,
who owns the dam, and the State Coastal
Conservancy, NOAAs National Marine
Fisheries Service, and the Planning &
Conservation League Foundation. The
San Clemente Reservoir, filled with
sediment to 95% of its capacity, no
longer serves its water storing purpose
and has been deemed unsafe by the
Division of Safety of Dams. The dam
removal project along with the river
reroute will not only address the safety
concerns, but will also open up critical
habitat for the endangered steelhead, and
is expected to improve the overall health
of the Carmel River. Information on the
project can also be found at:
www.sanclementedamremoval.org

How You Can Manage Storm
Water to Benefit the River
By Rami Shihadeh, RCD Carmel River
Watershed Coordinator
The ways in which residents of the
Carmel River watershed manage the
runoff from storm events and irrigation
around homes and property impact
Carmel River water quality as well as all
of us. By knowing the ways in which
storm water impacts water quality, and by
making essential changes, you can help
protect our surface and groundwater
quality. Simply put, storm water is
rainfall that does not soak into the
(continued on column two)













(San Clemente Dam--Jan. 2012)

(continued from column one)
ground. As it flows across the ground,
this runoff collects and transports soil, pet
and wild animal waste, fertilizer,
pesticides, oil, grease, litter, and other
materials that can contaminate local
waterways. Heavy rain is not needed to
send these potential pollutants down storm
drains and on their way to local streams,
rivers and wetlands. A garden hose or an
irrigation event alone can supply enough
water to get them moving downstream.
The storm drain system in the Carmel
River watershed consists of street gutters,
catch basins, underground pipes, open
channels, culverts (drains that cross under
roads and driveways), and creeks. These
carry storm water directly into the Carmel
River, Lagoon, and Carmel Bay without
treatment to remove pollutants. Storm
water pollution comes from many different
sources including construction sites, dirt
roads, bare areas in lawns and gardens, and
wastewater from washing cars and trucks
on streets, driveways, or parking lots.
Retaining or slowing the flow of runoff
water leaving your property is the first step
of home storm water management.
Three simple approaches to address this
include the use of natural vegetation,
pervious pavements, and managing roof
runoff.
In open areas, rainwater infiltration can
be enhanced with the right ground-
covering plants such as native perennial
grasses, sedges and shrubs that grow
naturally in the valleys grasslands,
woodlands, or wetlands. Along the river or
a creek, one of the best ways to slow and
filter runoff is to leave a buffer strip of
deep-rooted vegetation along the banks,
and low-statured grasses in areas such as
ditches and swales that drain to the river.
(continued on column three)

Our mission is the protection of the natural resources that form the Carmel River
Storm Water (cont.)
Paved roads, driveways, and
walkways prevent rain from soaking into
the ground and increase the amount of
potentially contaminated storm water
runoff that reaches our creeks and the
Carmel River. Materials such as gravel,
decomposed granite, or wood chips
provide a pervious alternative for
walkways that enable infiltration and
reduce runoff. Likewise, pavers or
interlocking cement blocks allow spaces
for rainwater to percolate into the ground
while still providing the surface needed
for safe access.
The roof of your house is similar to a
paved area in that it sheds water. This
runoff needs to be managed in terms of
erosion impacts when it reaches the
ground and as it runs across or off the
land. For home safety, downspouts
should be aimed away from foundations;
beyond this, where it is directed is up to
the landowners discretion. If the water
leaving a downspout can be directed
away from paved surfaces and across
grassy areas that are either lightly sloped
or can accommodate temporary ponding,
the water will have a chance to soak into
the ground, and there is less water to
carry contaminants into storm drains.
By making yourself aware of these
problems, and taking some simple steps
to reduce the amount of contaminants
that enter storm water, you can make a
difference that will benefit you, your
family, the community, and the Carmel
River. More information on ways to
enhance your property is available from
the Resource Conservation District of
Monterey County and in the Stewardship
Kit from the Coastal Watershed Council.





Volunteer Monitoring Is
Underway in Lagoon
The Coastal Watershed Council
(CWC) has begun monitoring the
water quality in the Carmel River
as part of the Livestock and Land
Program. CWC staff and
volunteers will be monitoring a
number of sites on the river
throughout 2012. For more
information see the CWC site at
www.coastal-
watershed.org/monitoring