ITEM:		INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS
34.	CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR MAY 2017
Meeting Date:			June 19, 2017	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: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378.

AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS:  Unseasonably high river flows continued in May keeping conditions in the Carmel River good to excellent for adult and smolt out-migration and excellent for young-of-the-year (fry) rearing.

Mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir ranged from 77 to 158 cfs (monthly mean 109 cfs) resulting in 6,690 acre-feet (AF) of runoff. Mean daily streamflow at Highway 1 gage ranged from 81 to 168 cfs (monthly mean 113 cfs), resulting in 6,930 AF of runoff.

There were 0.05 inches of rainfall in May as recorded at Cal-Am’s San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total for WY 2017 (which started on October 1, 2016) is 32.19 inches, or 155% of the long-term year-to-date average of 20.82 inches. 

CARMEL RIVER LAGOON:  During May the water surface elevation (WSE) fluctuated with the tides, ranging from approximately 3.5 – 9.5 feet above mean-sea-level (see graph below).  

Water-quality profiles were conducted at five lagoon sites on May 25th. Conditions for steelhead were “good” in the main river channel of the lagoon and “fair” in the north and south arms, with low to moderate salinity (1-11 ppt), and moderate dissolved oxygen (DO) levels (5-10 mg/l) and water temperatures (60-69) degrees Fahrenheit).  

LOS PADRES DAM ADULT COUNTS:  Cal-Am began their adult steelhead trap and truck operations at LPD on December 19, 2016.  The first ocean-run adult steelhead since 2013 were trapped and transported above the dam on February 2, 2017.  By the end of May, a total of seven ocean-run steelhead and 36 resident fish (<16”, non-ocean run) had been trapped and transported.

SUMMER STEELHEAD RESCUES: Staff conducted rescues in three tributaries (Potrero, Robinson Canyon, and Hitchcock Creeks) as they began to dry back. All fish were released into the Carmel River at the tributary’s confluence. As of the end of May, a total of 1,958 fish have been rescued (1,939 YOY, seven 1+ year olds, and 12 morts).

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