Critical Carmel River fish rescue facility damaged in flood
Among the homes and businesses severely damaged by flooding along the Carmel River on Jan. 9 was a critical steelhead trout facility protecting the endangered fish that have suffered because of over-pumping of the river to provide drinking water for the Monterey Peninsula. Operated by the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility in Carmel Valley was designed in the early 1990s and came online in 1996 to rescue federally listed endangered steelhead trout that have been cut off from upstream spawning grounds. The over-pumping has turned parts of the river into ponds that trap the steelhead.