The Carmel River is no longer flowing out of the Ventana Wilderness and into the Los Padres Dam reservoir, according to Monterey Peninsula Water Management District officials.
That means any water downstream has been released from the dam, says Kevan Urquhart, senior fisheries biologist for MPWMD.
Backing up: The Carmel River is the only source of fresh water on the Monterey Peninsula. It's so overtapped, the state Water Resources Control Board has ordered California American Water Co. to cut back 70 percent of its river pumping by December 2016—an order that set into motion a regional scrabble for new water sources, most notably a $400 million seawater desalination plant.
Then there's the ongoing drought, perhaps the worst in California history; 58.4 percent of the state is experiencing the most severe category, "exceptional drought," and the rest is not much wetter. The state has issued emergency water conservation rules, including fines for water wasters.
Back to the Los Padres Dam: By May, the reservoir was so low, only a trickle dripped down the concrete spillway. MPWMD officials let water out in controlled releases to keep flow in the lower Carmel River for steelhead.
Now, the dam is in an unsustainable state: no flow in, only flow out.