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ITEM: |
INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS/STAFF REPORTS |
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21. |
CARMEL RIVER FISHERY REPORT FOR AUGUST
2016 |
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Meeting Date: |
September 19, 2016 |
Budgeted: |
N/A |
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From: |
David J. Stoldt, |
Program/ |
N/A |
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General Manager |
Line Item No.: |
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Prepared By: |
Beverly Chaney |
Cost Estimate: |
N/A |
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General
Counsel Review: N/A |
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Committee Recommendation: N/A |
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CEQA Compliance: N/A |
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AQUATIC HABITAT AND FLOW CONDITIONS: August flow conditions in the lower Carmel River
were poor for migration and generally poor for rearing for all steelhead life
stages. Rearing conditions in the upper watershed were fair.
Mean daily streamflow at the Sleepy Hollow Weir dropped from 6.6
to 5.7 cubic feet-per-second (cfs) (monthly mean 6.3 cfs) resulting in 373
acre-feet (AF) of runoff, while Highway 1 was dry.
No August rainfall was
recorded at Cal-Am’s San Clemente gauge. The rainfall total to date for WY
2016 (which started on October 1, 2015) is 22.25 inches, or 106% of the long-term
year-to-date average of 20.98 inches.
CARMEL RIVER
LAGOON: August water
surface elevations (WSE) dropped from approximately 6.2 to 5.9 feet above
mean-sea-level (see graph below).
Water-quality profiles
were conducted in early August at five lagoon sites. Water conditions in the
main body, north, and lower south arms were generally “fair” for steelhead
rearing with water temperatures between 66 and 69 degrees Fahrenheit, dissolved
oxygen (DO) ranging from 1 - 14 mg/L, and low salinity levels between 2 - 4 parts
per thousand (ppt).
STEELHEAD RESCUES: Summer steelhead rescues started on
June 13, 2016 in the main-stem. Only five days of rescues were
needed in August and through the end of the month a total of 655 fish had been
rescued, including 421 young-of-the-year (YOY), 113 age 1+ year juveniles (1+),
115 age 2+ year residents (2+). There were six mortalities (0.90%).
Of the 655 rescued fish,
242 were from the drying and isolated plunge pool below Los Padres Dam. They
were released back into the river ~100m downstream. An additional 14 rescued fish were released
in the Robles Del Rio area when access to SHSRF was limited due to the
Soberanes Fire.
Rescues were conducted
on the lower sections of three tributaries in late May/June. A total
of 247 fish were captured and released into the Carmel River near the
confluences. Hitchcock Creek – 177 fish (mostly YOY); Robinson Canyon Cr. – 0
fish; Garzas Cr. – 70 fish (mix of YOY and 1+ fish). There
were also two mortalities (0.81%).
SLEEPY HOLLOW STEELHEAD
REARING FACILITY: The first rescued
fish were brought to the Facility on June 13, 2016. On August 24th, District and NMFS
staff PITT tagged (Passive Integrated
Transponder Tags) and transferred 361 fish from the holding tanks to the
rearing channel. PIT tagged fish are individually numbered and can be tracked
as they migrate past fixed electrical arrays placed in the river.
At the end of August
there were 350 steelhead in the Facility including 241 small/medium YOY/1+, 92
large 1+ fish, and 17 extra-large 2+ fish.
There have been 42 mortalities (10.6%) (six in quarantine, 11 post
tagging mortality, and 25 missing/presumed cannibalism).
U:\staff\Boardpacket\2016\20160919\InfoItems\21\Item-21.docx