New solutions for the Carmel River Lagoon flooding problem

New steps are being taken to solve the ongoing flooding problem at the Carmel River Lagoon. Several possible solutions were presented at the Monterey County Board of Supervisors meeting today, to discuss them.

The Carmel River State Beach is a sandbar that divides the lagoon from the Pacific Ocean. Every year when the flow comes into the lagoon, levels rise naturally. This can pose problems.

Melanie Bereti with the Resource Management Agency says, “depending on the height of that beach and the sandbar. That time it takes can flood the adjoining communities and cause other difficulties.”

There are about 30 homes that can be threatened by that flooding. And while that’s a small number, it seems everyone from the area knows the harm it can bring to the nearby community. John Krattli has lived in Carmel for four years now, and says it happened to his friend. “I haven’t actually seen it flood personally, but I have had… I know some neighbors that own property here and it has flooded their house twice.

In years past sandbagging has been used to protect the homes, and water from the lagoon drained when it gets too full. But members of the Resource Management Agency are looking at some new options. “One would be an ecosystem protective barrier which would provide the flood protection for the adjacent communities. The other would be a scenic road protective structure, which would help protect scenic road from getting undercut from the Carmel River,” says Bereti.

And while most would like to see a solution… many just don’t want an eyesore.

Krattli says, “I love the natural beauty of the area and would certainly want anything be built to be consistent with the beauty of the area.”

At Tuesday’s board meeting, county officials discussed some possible solutions and funding. Bereti says the meeting went well. “Well we got some good direction to continue with the analysis and the environmental impact report. So we can continue to move that forward seeking funding to help pay for that. And importantly getting continued support to look into some alternatives for partners who can help engage in moving that process forward.

The goal of the project is to ultimately provide flood protection, while continuing to protect the steelhead fish who call it home.