ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
18.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT
Meeting Date:			November 17, 2014	Budgeted:	N/A
From:			David J. Stoldt,	Program/	N/A
			General Manager	Line Item No.:
Prepared By:			Beverly Chaney	Cost Estimate:	N/A
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: N/A
CEQA Compliance: N/A

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS:  During October 2014, Carmel River streamflow at the MPWMD Highway 1 gage (HW 1) was 0 cubic-feet per second (cfs).   As of October 31, the wetted river front remained near Robinson Canyon Road Bridge (River Mile, [RM], 8.46). An additional 2.4 miles of stream was dry or intermittent in the reach between West Garzas Well, (RM 12.1) and Rosie’s Bridge (Esquiline Road, RM 14.5).

Mean daily streamflow in October at the District’s Carmel River at Sleepy Hollow Weir gaging station ranged from 1.5 to 2.7 cfs, with a mean monthly flow of 2.0 cfs.  During October, 0.07 inches of rainfall were recorded at California American Water’s (CAW) San Clemente Dam (SCD).  The rainfall total for WY 2015 (which started on October 1, 2014) is 0.07 inches, or 9.1% of the long-term annual average of 0.77 inches.

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  In October 2014, the lagoon’s water-surface elevation (WSE) rose from 3.0 to 3.9 feet above mean sea level (see graph below) due to wave over wash.  Surface inflow to the lagoon ceased on May 24, 2013.

Water quality profiles were conducted in late October at five lagoon sites. While much of the lagoon remained shallow, water temperatures continued to cool, ranging from 59 - 65 degrees F. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels had improved since last month, ranging from 2.0 – 13 mg/L, while salinity levels rose to 4 - 12 ppt due to wave over wash.

LOWER RIVER STEELHEAD RESCUES:  Staff began steelhead smolt and juvenile rescues on March 3, 2014, the earliest rescue start since 1991. By the end of October, a total of 3,819 fish had been rescued, including: 883 smolts, 2,341 non-smolted juveniles, 586 young-of-year (YOY), seven adults, and two mortalities. The YOY fish are progeny from non-sea run spawning adults – possibly the large fish released from the Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility last fall. The smolts and adults were acclimated to seawater then released into the ocean at Stewart’s Cove, near the Carmel River mouth. The juveniles and YOY were transported farther upstream and released.

JUVENILE STEELHEAD POPULATION SURVEYS: Staff completed the annual steelhead population survey at seven sites between Scarlett Well and Los Padres Dam. An additional three sites were dry or had been previously rescued, and the Lower Inundation Zone site no longer exists due to the San Clemente Dam removal project. Fish populations were the lowest on record (back to 1990) due to the three year drought and lack of a spawning run this past spring.

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