ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
34.	QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER EROSION PROTECTION AND RESTORATION PROJECTS REPORT
Meeting Date:			July 18, 2011	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			Darby Fuerst	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Larry Hampson	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

Carmel River Advisory Committee: The Carmel River Advisory Committee met on April 14, 2011. Final minutes of this meeting will be provided to the MPWMD Board of Directors under Committee Reports in a future Board packet (see Informational Items in monthly Board packets).

State Propositions 84 and 1E Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Grant Program: Execution of a $995,000 grant agreement with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) was delayed until the California State budget for Fiscal Year 2011-12 (July 1-June 30) was approved. District staff expect to execute an agreement in the near future with DWR. The grant from DWR will be used for water resource planning purposes in the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Bay, and South Monterey Bay Region (Region).

DWR announced draft recommendations on May 24, 2011, for Proposition 84 Integrated Regional Water Management Implementation Grants.  However, the Region was not recommended for a grant.  The proposal submitted by MPWMD had requested a little more than $6 million in grant funds, including a little less than $2 million for additional work on the Aquifer Storage and Recovery Project.  On June 8, 2011, District Engineer Larry Hampson met with DWR staff in Sacramento for a de-brief of the grant proposal evaluation. Also in attendance at the meeting were William Phillips, Assistant General Manager for the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, Lorin Letendre, President of the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy, who participated by telephone, and Greg Pepping, Executive Director of the Coastal Watershed Council who also participated by telephone.

Design of Sleepy Hollow Ford Removal and Bridge Replacement Project: District staff expect to execute three consultant agreements in July 2011 and begin field work shortly thereafter.

Carmel River Lagoon: General Manager Darby Fuerst and District Engineer Larry Hampson attended a community meeting of the Carmel Point and Lagoon Preservation Association (CPLPA) on June 22, 2011 at Mission Ranch. The purpose of the meeting was to review breaching actions during the past winter by the Monterey County Public Works Department and to discuss potential solutions to protect Scenic Road and the State Parks facilities at Carmel River State Beach and to protect local properties from flooding. Approximately 75 people attended the meeting, including Supervisor and Director Dave Potter, who urged the community to support a permanent solution that would include three projects: 1) making Scenic Road one-way to reduce erosion near the top of the slope next to the road; 2) protecting Scenic Road with a seawall that would be similar in construction to a seawall recently constructed in Pebble Beach; 3) installing a barrier along the north side of the lagoon to protect homes and infrastructure from being flooded. In cooperation with the Carmel River Lagoon Technical Advisory Committee, MPWMD staff have worked with the CPLPA and other non-profit and public agencies to seek funding and support for these solutions.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Regional General Permit (RGP) for Carmel River Maintenance and Restoration: The Corps informed District staff that their procedures for issuing permits have been changed and that a valid 401 Water Quality Certification from the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) is required in order to renew the RGP. District staff submitted a request to the RWQCB to renew the 401 Water Quality Certification issued for the previous RGP that expired in 2010.

San Clemente Dam Removal Project: District Engineer Larry Hampson and Senior Fisheries Biologist participated in two design reviews conducted by the Technical Review Team. MPWMD staff are concerned about potential impacts from releases of sediment from the site that could affect operations at the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility. In addition, MPWMD questioned the feasibility of the fish rescue plan for dewatered areas. A third review is tentatively scheduled for the last week of August or first week of September 2011.

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