ITEM:

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS

 

18.

QUARTERLY CARMEL RIVER RIPARIAN CORRIDOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM REPORT

 

Meeting Date:

August 15, 2016

Budgeted:

N/A

 

From:

Dave Stoldt,

Program/

N/A

 

General Manager

Line Item No.:

 

Prepared By:

Thomas Christensen and

Cost Estimate:

N/A

 

Larry Hampson

 

 

                            

General Counsel Review:  N/A

Committee Recommendation:  N/A

CEQA Compliance:  N/A

 

IRRIGATION OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION: The supplemental watering of riparian restoration plantings has resumed for the summer season in 2016 at six Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (District) riparian habitat restoration sites.  The following irrigation systems were in use April through June: deDampierre, Trail and Saddle Club, Begonia, Schulte, Valley Hills, and Schulte Bridge.

 

            Water Use in Acre-Feet (AF)

            (preliminary values subject to revision)

           

            January - March 2016   0.0 AF

            April - June 2016          1.64

            Year-to-date                  1.64 AF

 

MONITORING OF RIPARIAN VEGETATION:   During June 2016, staff recorded bi-monthly observations of canopy vigor on target willow and cottonwood trees to provide an indication of plant water stress and corresponding soil moisture levels.  Four locations (Rancho Cañada, San Carlos, Valley Hills, and Schulte) are monitored bi-monthly for canopy ratings based on a scale from one to ten. This scale evaluates characteristics such as yellowing leaves and percentages of defoliation (see scale on Exhibit 18-A).  A total of 12 willows and 12 cottonwoods at these locations provide a data set of established and planted sample trees that are representative of trees in the Carmel River riparian corridor. Combined with monthly readings from the District’s array of monitoring wells and pumping records for large-capacity Carmel Valley wells in the California American Water service area, the District’s monitoring provides insight into the status of soil moisture through the riparian corridor.

 

Current monitoring results for the 2016 monitoring season to date show that riparian vegetation is below threshold stress levels.  At present, the river is drying back. However, there has been adequate soil moisture for the first part of summer to sustain the riparian corridor. The graph in Exhibit 18-A shows average canopy ratings for willows and cottonwoods in selected restoration sites in lower Carmel Valley.  The graph in Exhibit 18-B shows impacts to water table elevations.

 

The types of monitoring measurements made during May and June 2016 are as follows:

 

            Monitoring Measurement                                        

 

            Canopy ratings                                                (See Exhibit 18-A for trends.)          

            Groundwater levels (monitoring wells)          (See Exhibit 18-B for trends.)           

            Groundwater pumping (production wells)

 

OTHER TASKS PERFORMED SINCE THE APRIL 2015 QUARTERLY REPORT:

 

1.                  Carmel River Vegetation Management Project Notification: On April 15, 2016, District staff notified the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the Regional Water Quality Control Board of thirteen sites that are scheduled for vegetation management activities this fall. A total of approximately 2000 square feet of stream encompassing approximately 0.05 acres in the channel bottom will be affected by this year’s project.  The goal of the vegetation management activities is to reduce the risk of streambank erosion along riverfront properties where vegetation encroachment could potentially divert river flows into streambanks during high flow periods.

 

2.                  Riparian Irrigation Tune-up:  District staff (Mark Bekker and Matt Lyons) have been tuning up multiple irrigation systems along the Carmel River that are designed to offset impacts associated with groundwater extraction. Tune-ups include replacement of clogged emitters, leak repair, and trouble shooting well pumps and pressure tanks.

 

3.                  Public Outreach and Education: On April 8, 2016, District staff (Christensen) gave a presentation to students of Chartwell High School in Seaside on the current state of water supply planning for the Monterey Peninsula. Highlights included discussion on the Monterey Peninsula Water Resource System, Aquifer Storage and Recovery, and elements of the District’s Mitigation Program.

 

4.                  Los Padres Dam Fish Passage Study:  The District entered into a contract with HDR, Inc. to carry out a feasibility study of installing upstream passage facilities for steelhead at Los Padres Dam.  Regular teleconference meetings have been held between CDFW, NMFS, Cal-Am and MPWMD to start the study, which is due to be completed in late 2017.  The study is anticipated to cost about $280,000 and should result in at least one volitional passage alternative being presented in the final report.  Efforts to develop the study will be coordinated with other tasks approved under an extension of the SWRCB CDO, including an evaluation of potential improvements to the existing trap and a study of steelhead behavior within Los Padres Reservoir.

 

5.                  Stormwater Resource Plan (SRP):  The Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency recently announced that the SWRCB had approved a grant of more than $300,000 to develop a plan to utilize storm water and dry weather runoff and create benefits such as increased water supply, improved water quality and reduced flood risk.  Part of the local match will be funded by the District with a local project grant to the City of Monterey to identify opportunities to recycle stormwater for potable and other uses.  The geographical extent of the SRP encompasses the 347 square mile Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Bay, and South Monterey Bay (Monterey Peninsula) Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) planning region.  It is anticipated that the SRP will be coordinated with similar efforts in other parts of northern Monterey County focused on the reuse of stormwater.

 

6.                  Drought Contingency Plan and Salinas and Carmel Rivers Basin Study:  The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued a draft outline of a Plan of Study (POS) for the Basin Study and expects to have a final POS to the Basin Study partners by September.  MPWMD, MCWRA, MRWPCA and the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department (the Study partners) were awarded a $950,000 grant to study the effects of global climate change on future water supplies.  Reclamation is carefully coordinating the Plan of Study so as to avoid duplication of effort with the Drought Contingency Plan, also funded by Reclamation.

 

7.                  Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility Upgrade:  The Consultant for the project (TetraTech, Inc.) completed a final draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project.  The IS/MND will be reviewed by the State Coastal Conservancy for compliance with CEQA before being released for public review.

 

EXHIBITS

18-A    Average Willow and Cottonwood Canopy Rating

18-B    Depth to Groundwater

                       

 

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