ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
21.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT
Meeting Date:			March 17, 2008	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David A. Berger,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Beverly Chaney	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Approval: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS: During February 2008, Carmel River streamflow conditions were excellent for both upstream and downstream fish migration, and juvenile fish rearing, with continuous flow to the Carmel River Lagoon.

During February 2008, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 259 cubic feet per second (cfs) and ranged from 103 to 745 cfs. During February 2008, 4.02 inches of rainfall were recorded at California American Water’s (CAW) San Clemente Dam. The long-term average rainfall for February at this location is 4.38 inches. The rainfall total for Water Year 2008 to date is 19.07 inches, which is 122% of the long-term average of 15.58 inches for the water year to date.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: On January 5, the lagoon’s water surface elevation (WSE) rose from approximately six feet to 12.6 feet, the highest WSE ever recorded due to storm waves and a rapidly rising river. The lagoon beached naturally to the southern end of the beach and the WSE dropped to between two and four feet.

During February, the lagoon’s WSE fluctuated widely between two and nine feet above mean sea-level as storm waves and tides repeatedly filled, and then drained, the lagoon (see chart below).

WSE at the Carmel River Lagoon, February 2008

ADULT STEELHEAD COUNTS AT SAN CLEMENTE DAM: The fish counter was installed in December 2007. The first upstream migrating fish for the 2007-2008 season were counted on January 10, 2008 (See graph below). As of February 29, 249 steelhead had been counted, the third highest February total since 1993. All fish are being digitally videotaped for future analysis. Compared to the 2006-2007 season, when only 63 adults were counted through February, the start of this year’s adult migration was approximately four weeks earlier due to the early January storm and lagoon opening.

As of February 29, 2008, only 36 adult steelhead have been counted passing CAW’s Los Padres Dam fish trap and truck facility this year. This number amounts to only 14.5% of the fish that passed San Clemente Dam, so far.

TOTAL THRU
02/29/08

249

MONTH	NUMBER OF ADULTS
DEC 2007	0
JAN 2008	28
FEB 2008	221
MAR 2008
APR 2008
MAY 2008

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