Rivers need room to spread during heavy rainfall, when rising water can threaten nearby properties. Along California’s Carmel River, a planned restoration project seeks to reconnect the river with its southern floodplain to improve flood management and restore wildlife habitat. In 2016, Clint and Maggie Eastwood donated 79 acres at the former Odello East Fields to Big Sur Land Trust, following an earlier 49-acre gift that brought their combined contribution to 128 acres.
Big Sur Land Trust’s For Love of the Land: Annual Report 2016 identified the donation as an important milestone in the development of the Carmel River Floodplain Restoration and Environmental Enhancement Project, known as Carmel River FREE. Developed in collaboration with Monterey County, the project’s original plans included wetlands, grasslands, willows, cottonwoods, and a 23-acre agricultural preserve.
Making room for the river
Flooding in the lower Carmel River watershed can threaten nearby buildings and infrastructure. Carmel River FREE was designed to reconnect the river with its southern floodplain, creating more space for high water levels and reducing pressure on existing flood-control infrastructure.
The 2016 report outlined plans to remove levees and construct new channels to redirect floodwaters away from neighboring properties. Proposed causeways and bridges would also allow water to pass beneath Highway 1. Big Sur Land Trust’s Carmel River FREE project overview has cited an estimated $14 million in avoided flood-control costs for Monterey County through reduced need for extensive levee improvements. This figure reflects the project’s projected savings, rather than a verified current estimate.
The plans also address the river’s ecological health. Wetlands and native vegetation are intended to improve habitat for steelhead trout, birds, and other wildlife around the lower Carmel River and Carmel River Lagoon. By combining flood management with habitat restoration, the project aims to benefit surrounding communities while supporting the river ecosystem.
Restoring habitat and opening up public space
The planned restoration extends beyond the 128 acres donated by the Eastwoods at the former Odello East Fields. Carmel River FREE also involves areas associated with Palo Corona Regional Park and Carmel River State Beach. Its central goal is to reconnect the river with the southern floodplain, allowing floodwaters to spread across a wider area.
Public access is another element of the proposal. Big Sur Land Trust’s 2016 report described a planned trail linking Carmel River State Beach with Palo Corona Regional Park, giving visitors another way to explore the river corridor. The design also included an agricultural preserve, with farming intended to coexist with conservation and recreation.
Restoring the area will require more than planting trees and grasses. Big Sur Land Trust has outlined habitat management plans covering both compensatory restoration required by regulators and initial revegetation, followed by continued habitat management. These measures are intended to help establish and maintain the restored landscape over time.
Funding the project for the long term
Long-term stewardship is an important part of the project’s financial planning. Big Sur Land Trust’s 2016 annual report described the establishment of the Carmel River FREE Stewardship Fund with the Community Foundation for Monterey County. The fund had an initial fundraising goal of $2 million to cover estimated annual stewardship costs of $100,000 over 20 years.
The project’s implementation, however, remains a separate challenge. Big Sur Land Trust’s project overview reports that more than 20 agreements and permits have been secured and identifies approximately $25 million in grant funding. It also indicates that additional federal funding is needed to advance construction. In January 2025, project partners signed a long-term management agreement outlining their responsibilities for maintaining the site after construction.
The management agreement represents progress in planning for the site’s future, but it does not mean the restoration work is complete. Construction and the associated funding remain critical steps before the proposed floodplain improvements can be realized. If completed as planned, Carmel River FREE could provide additional flood storage, improve wildlife habitat and expand public access while reducing the need for some conventional flood-control measures.