The Carmel River Watershed Coordinator is working with landowners, non-profit organizations and agency partners to provide a centralized and neutral role in assisting with the coordination and prioritization of critical resource issues affecting habitat, water quality and supply, flooding, and listed species in the Carmel River watershed. With grant funding from the California Department of Conservation through July 2014, the watershed coordinator will help transform the volumes of assessment information and prioritization and planning to active improvement work in the watershed. The watershed coordinator will play a supporting role by engaging in the following efforts:

1. Watershed partner meeting coordination and coordinated grant-writing, fund-raising, and resource-sharing.
2. Community education through the development and distribution of watershed stewardship guides, public presentations and meetings, field demonstrations, and youth program involvement with local schools.
3. Project technical, financial and permitting assistance to landowners in coordination with IRWMP and partner agencies.
4. Coordinate volunteer activities by implementing an annual conservation workday and assisting local partners’ volunteer programs.

The issues of greatest concern in the watershed to be addressed are outlined below:

• Upland and bank erosion associated with poor road drainage design, inadequate culverts, and vegetation removal (Smith et al., Physical and Hydrologic Assessment of the Carmel River Watershed, California, 2004)
• Lack of canopy cover on sections of river, degraded aquatic habitat, lack of large, woody debris, and fish passage barriers (Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, Environmental and Biological Assessment of Portions of the Carmel River Watershed, 2004)
• Associated sedimentation in waterways (Smith, 2004 and MPWMD 2004)
• Localized impacts of over-pumping in addition to municipal water extraction above the capacity of surface and groundwater resources (Phillip Williams and Assoc., Supplemental Carmel Watershed Action Plan, 2007)
• Water quality (temperature, salinity and DO) and steelhead rearing areas (Carmel River Watershed Assessment and Action Plan, Carmel River Watershed Conservancy, 2004)
• Noxious weeds: French broom and Arundo (CRWC 2004)

Partner organizations contributing time and money to this effort include:

The Carmel River Watershed Conservancy, Planning & Conservation League Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District, Big Sur Land Trust, State Coastal Conservancy, CA Dept. of Fish & Game, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, California Coastal Commission, the County of Monterey (Public Works and Water Resources), Cal State University at Monterey Bay, and The Central Coast Wetlands Group.

For more information on the program, contact Rami Shihadeh at the RCDMC office.

Carmel River Watershed Planning Documents

• 2007 Carmel River Watershed Action Plan
• Carmel River Action Plan Matrix