approximately upstream from the natural San Clemente Creek–Carmel River confluence. The CRRDR opened up of historic steelhead rainbow trout habitat on the river mainstem, plus access to three named tributary creeks: San Clemente Creek, Pine Creek and Cachagua Creek. At the time it was the third largest dam removal in North America, and the largest dam removal in a Mediterranean hydroclimate setting. The Los Padres Dam, built in 1949, is located upstream from the ocean, and above the San Clemente Dam. Its original capacity was , but as of 2008, its capacity was only . The most productive habitat for steelhead trout is the upstream of Los Padres Dam because of the excellent spawning gravels there. The Los Padres Reservoir is steadily filling with sediment, as the pervasively fractured granitic and metamorphic rock underlying the Carmel River watershed are easily eroded. Sediment loads may greatly increase when fires reduce vegetation cover and are followed by large rainfall events, as in the 1977 Marble Cone Fire that produced catastrophic debris flows. Los Padres dam and reservoir are an impediment to natural flow of woody debris and gravel/sediment downstream, and to steelhead trout migration. However, it also serves an aesthetic function by ensuring summer flow through many miles of river below the dam each summer. The oldest dam on the river, which was used as a turnout for a water pipeline, was located approximately downstream of San Clemente Dam. It was removed as part of the San Clemente Dam Removal Project. This first dam and associated pipeline was constructed ca. 1880 by Charles Crocker and the Pacific Improvement Company with a labor force that included approximately 700 Chinese workers. This small dam, which has been referred to as the "Chinese Dam" and "Old Carmel River Dam," was built using hewn and mortared granite blocks. A cast-iron pipe long and in diameter was used to deliver water from the dam to the first Del Monte Hotel on the Monterey Peninsula, crossing the Carmel River five times on its way. Remnants of the original iron pipe still exist along Carmel Valley Road, but no records have been found to show where the pipe crossed the river. See also Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area Hydrological transport model List of rivers of California References Further reading California Department of Boating and Waterways California Coastal Conservancy: Carmel River External links Carmel River Watershed Conservancy website Resource