On May 24, 2024, Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Monterey) announced a $6,000,000 federal grant awarded to the California State Coastal Conservancy for ongoing work on the Rancho Cañada Floodplain Restoration Project. The grant was awarded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Coastal Zone Management Program to help restore a one-mile section of the Carmel River that is critical to connecting the historic floodplain habitat.
The Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, in collaboration with numerous federal, state, and local government agencies and non-profits, is beginning the restoration of a migration and spawning habitat for South-Central California Coast steelhead and other species. The project will also enhance multiple wildlife corridors and create new opportunities for nature-based environmental education and recreation. The reconnected, lowered floodplains will create a self-sustaining, climate-resilient river system that can respond to a changing climate. Read the full press release here.