'Happy Fish, Happy Frogs' crew

Evan De Lay, Sheldon Leiker, and Elizabeth Geisler, graduates of CSU Monterey Bay's Applied Marine and Watershed Science program, are working on the removal of the San Clemente Dam from the Carmel River.

Because each had worked extensively on the river, they were hired by Granite Construction to be part of the environmental compliance team. Geisler (’14) has worked on the river for seven years, first as a field biologist for the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) and then as a graduate student researcher investigating sediment transport. Leiker (’14) also investigated sediment transport while a graduate student, and De Lay (’13) conducted water quality monitoring of steelhead trout habitat for the water management district. The team's daily work entails biological monitoring on the construction site, taking flow measurements in the river and on site, water quality sampling, and reporting to regulatory agencies, such as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Water Resources Control Board. The team ensures that the project is in compliance with all relevant environmental permits – which is why some of the project engineers refer to it as the “Happy Fish, Happy Frogs" crew.

The project involves a unique and innovative approach to dam removal. The Carmel River will be completely rerouted into the San Clemente Creek tributary to prevent sediment loading downstream, and may serve as a model for future dam removals in California and the nation.

Removing the dam will restore natural sediment transport within the river and give steelhead trout – a threatened species – access to 25 miles of additional spawning habitat. It will also eliminate potential problems the seismically unsafe structure could cause in an earthquake.

Read more about the San Clemente dam removal

Read a story by KSBW-TV news on students helping with dam removal

Learn about CSUMB’s master’s degree in applied marine and watershed science

*Reprinted from the newsletter of CSU Monterey Bay’s Watershed Institute. Used by permission. *

Photo: (left to right) Evan DeLay, Sheldon Leiker and Elizabeth Geisler are employed by Granite Construction, working on removal of the San Clemente dam