ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

 

22.

MONTHLY CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT

 

Meeting Date:

February 25, 2010

Budgeted: 

N/A

 

From:

Darby Fuerst,

Program/

N/A

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

 

 

Prepared By:

Cory Hamilton

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

General Counsel Review:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS:  Streamflow conditions for fish migration were marginal for adults during the first half of January 2010, and optimal for smolts and juvenile fish with continuous flow to the lagoon throughout the month. A storm event in the middle of January increased flows and improved migration conditions for adults through the rest of the month.

 

During January 2010, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 342 cubic-feet per second (cfs) and ranged from 39 to 1,670 cfs.  Unimpaired runoff at San Clemente Dam (SCD) for the month of January 2010 was 21,074 acre-feet, which was 164% of the January mean of 12,850 AF.  Unimpaired runoff at SCD for Water Year (WY) 2010 to date, which started the first of October 2009, has totaled 32,008 AF or about 162% of the long-term average to date for this site, and 47% of the long-term annual average of 68,627 AF.  During January 2010, 7.96 inches of rainfall were recorded at California American Water’s (Cal-Am) SCD gage.  The rainfall total for the month of January was 181% of the normal mean of 4.40 inches at SCD.  The rainfall total for WY 2010 is 15.66 inches, which is 140% of the long-term average to date at this site, and 73% of the long term annual average of 21.3 inches.

 

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  During January 2010, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 1.3 to 9.9 feet above mean sea level (see graph below). The lagoon sand bar was breached by Monterey County Public Works Department crews on January 13th after the lagoon’s WSE rose to approximately 10 feet above mean sea level. Water quality in the lagoon was adequate for steelhead rearing with the exception of 1 to 1.5 meters of depth and deeper. At this depth, the high saline waters become stressful for young-of-the year fish. Although stressful for young-of-the-year fish, it may be a good acclimation area for smolts preparing to enter the ocean waters. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen in the lagoon remained adequate at all depths for steelhead.

 

ADULT STEELHEAD AT SCD:   The fish counter and video camera were installed at the ladder on October 17, 2009.  The first fish recorded over the counter was on October 17. There have been a total of 35 fish recorded passing the counter, two in October, five in November, three in December and 25 in January (see graph below). There have been no fish reported at the Cal-Am Los Padres Dam Fish Trap as of January 31, 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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