ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
24.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR JUNE 2010
Meeting Date:			July 19, 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 during June 2010 were optimal for smolts and juvenile fish with continuous flow to the lagoon throughout the month. Fish migration for adults started to become impaired at one site near Rancho Canada Golf Course at approximately 50 cubic feet per second (cfs) and below.

During June 2010, the mean daily streamflow recorded at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station averaged 58.7 cfs and ranged from 39 to 78 cfs. Unimpaired runoff at San Clemente Dam (SCD) for the month of June 2010 was 3,562 AF. Unimpaired runoff at SCD for Water Year (WY) 2010 to date, which started October 1, 2009, has totaled 94,975 AF or about 140% of the long-term average to date for this site, and 138% of the long-term annual average of 68,630 AF. During June 2010, no rainfall was recorded at California American Water’s (CAW) SCD. The rainfall total for WY 2010 is 27.45 inches, which is 130% of the long term annual average of 21.3 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON: During June 2010, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) ranged from approximately 1.33 to 7.12 feet above mean sea level (see graph below). The lagoon’s water level continuously filled and emptied during the entire month. Water quality was sampled twice this month on the 11^th and the 25^th. On both sampling days, the lagoon water level was very low and had no to little water located within three of the five sampling sites. Water quality in the lagoon during sampling was adequate for all life stages of steelhead in the sampled areas from the surface to 0.75 meters depth. There was a halocline observed at 1.0 meters in the south arm area which had salinity ranging up to 29 parts per thousand (ppt). This stratification likely kept the distribution of juvenile fish to the top 0.75 meters of the water column, while smolts and adult steelhead could have used the entire water column. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 4-14 mg/L and temperature ranged between 12 and 19 degrees Celcius at the sampling locations.

ADULT STEELHEAD AT SCD: The fish counter and video camera were installed at the ladder on October 17, 2009 and operated through June 2010. The first fish recorded over the counter was on October 17^th. There have been a total of 170 fish recorded passing the counter, 2 in October, 5 in November, 3 in December, 25 in January, 55 in February, 65 in March, 12 in April, 3 in May and 0 in June (see graph below). This season’s counts have exceeded last year’s total count of 95 fish. This year’s to-date counts are well below the through June average count of 456 fish observed at the counter, since its installation in 1993. The end of June is the end of the steelhead migration on the Carmel River, no fish has passed the counter since May 20^th.

ADULT STEELHEAD AT LPD: By the end of June 2010, 55 fish were reported at Cal-Am’s Los Padres Dam Fish Trap (see graph below). This season’s counts have exceeded last year’s total count of 21 fish. No fish were reported in the trap for the entire month of June. This is the end of this year’s steelhead migration.

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