Carmel River

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The Carmel River is a river on the central coast of Monterey County, California. The 36-mile river has its origin in the Santa Lucia Mountains. It flows northwest through the Carmel Valley and empties into the Pacific Ocean near Carmel-by-the-Sea. The river drains about 255 square miles (660 km²). It was discovered in 1602 by Sebastian Vizcaino who exaggerated it to the proportions of a mighty river. It was long sought by subsequent explorers.

There are two dams on the water, both used for drinking water and both have severe sediment buildup. The San Clemente Dam was built in 1921. It is located 18 miles (29 km) upstream from the ocean. It had an original capacity of 1,450 acre-feet (1,790,000 m³), but as of 2002, the capacity has fallen to less than 150 acre-feet (185,000 m³). It cannot store water, but it is still used for diversion during high flows. Also, it has been determined that the dam may not survive an earthquake of 6.5 or greater. The Los Padres Dam was built in 1949. It is located 25 miles (40 km) upstream from the ocean. Its original capacity was 3,030 acre-feet (3,740,000 m³), but as of 2000, its capacity was only 2,000 acre-feet (2,500,000 m³).