Op-Ed on Water Supply

To Restore and Protect the Carmel River Watershed, Monterey Peninsula Needs an “All-of-the-Above Water Supply Solution 

By The Board of the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy 

In 1999 the Carmel River was listed as one of the top ten endangered rivers in the U.S. With conservation and responsible stewardship, progress has been made to restore and protect the Carmel River – yet there is still much to be done. 

Throughout our 25- year history, the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy (CRWC) has advocated for an All-of-the-Above strategy to ensure a permanent and adequate water supply for both the river and our communities. For the watershed and surrounding communities to thrive, we need to depend less on the river for our water supply and we need to have dependable, drought resistant water supplies. 

Historically, the Carmel River has been the major water source for the Monterey Peninsula. For the last 30 years we have been under a State Water Board cease-and-desist order to reduce Carmel River pumping and to protect endangered species. That 1995 order, coupled with another in 2009, requires that the nearly 75% of the Peninsula’s water supply coming from the river be replaced by other sources. It also bars our water provider, CalAm, from providing new water hookups until alternate sources are identified. Understandably, there are increasing calls from political leaders, affordable housing advocates and business leaders to remove the cease-and-desist order to allow more water hookups and the economic benefits that can come with an adequate and sustainable water supply. 

We at the CRWC agree with the State Water Board stance that lifting the cease-and-desist order should not take place unless permanent and adequate water supplies are assured in order to protect the Carmel River Watershed. Currently our water comes from 3 sources: the Carmel River, the aquifer storage and recovery program (ASR), and Pure Water Monterey recycled water. CalAm, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and Monterey One Water have worked together to increase conservation, decrease pumping from the river, and provide new water for the region. This agency and community effort has significantly decreased dependence on the Carmel River and yielded big benefits for native steelhead fisheries and their habitats. Working together we have conserved, store, reused and repurposed water to its best and highest use. 

While the ASR and Pure Water Monterey Expansion projects assure current water needs, protecting the Carmel River and the human and wildlife habitat that rely on it requires drought proof water supply while the demand increases with the lifting of the cease-and-desist order and future droughts. Desalination is a drought proof tool and an important component of the region’s water supply strategy. The Carmel River Watershed Conservancy protects and improves the health of the Carmel River Watershed for the benefit of its natural environment and the public good. Carmelriverwatershed.org 

The desalination plant proposal currently under review from CalAm would produce 5,376 acre-feet of treated water per year, or enough to serve approximately 18,300 households. Combined with ASR and Pure Water Monterey, the plant would bring the reliable new water needed to preserve the Carmel River Watershed, allow for new hookups for desperately needed – and state-mandated – new housing, support community demand and allow for economic benefits. 

Using expert-backed desalination technology will minimize the environmental impacts associated with supplying water to the Monterey Peninsula and will protect marine habitats and wildlife. Diversifying water supplies will assure we can limit water drawn from the Carmel River Watershed, and that will boost endangered steelhead populations in the Carmel River. 

The CRWC continues to support the exploration of all options for permanent and drought proof water sources that will ensure adequate for both the river and our communities. 

This letter was unanimously approved by the CRWC Board on February 10, 2024. Chair Jen Hunter, Vice Chair Abbie Beane, Past President Lorin Letendre, Treasurer Andy Magnasco, Secretary Scott Hennessy, Michael Waxer, Phyllis Meurer, Peter Loewy, John Gaglioti, and Steffanie Gamecho.