ITEM:		CONSENT CALENDAR
2.	CONSIDER EXPENDITURE TO CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION AND RELATED SERVICES TO COMPLETE THE CARMEL RIVER STEELHEAD RESISTANCE BOARD WEIR PROJECT
Meeting Date:			August 17, 2020	Budgeted:	Yes
From:			David J. Stoldt, General Manager	Program/	Protect Environmental Quality
				Line Item No.:	2-3-4-B
Prepared By:			Thomas Christensen	Cost Estimate:	Up to $130,000
General Counsel Review: N/A
Committee Recommendation: The Administrative Committee reviewed this item on August 11, 2020 and recommended approval.
CEQA Compliance: This action does not constitute a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines section 15378.

SUMMARY: Staff proposes to construct the Carmel River Steelhead Resistance Board Weir Project across from the Carmel Area Wastewater District downstream of Highway One Bridge. This project involves the construction of a 75-foot-wide resistance board weir and a trap (Figure 1) for anadromous adult steelhead, which will enable the District to estimate the annual run size of steelhead. The District advertised for bids for two weeks starting on July 24, 2020. The bid was placed on multiple bid boards including Sacramento area San Luis Obispo County Monterey County and San Jose area.

Figure 1. Example Weir in Stanislaus River

RECOMMENDATION: The Administrative Committee recommends the Board:

1. Authorize the General Manager to enter into a contract with the lowest bidder for construction of the Carmel River Steelhead Resistance Board Weir Project at bid cost plus 10% contingency (Not-to-Exceed $130,000).

DISCUSSION: The Carmel River has a known run of South-Central California Coast (S-CCC) steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus). S-CCC steelhead were listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 1997 and most of the streams in the Carmel River watershed have been designated as critical habitat for S-CCC steelhead. Data needs to be collected to inform management of the species as well as comply with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA) requirement that Monterey Peninsula Water Management District (MPWMD) estimate the annual run size of SH as part of their Section 10(A)(1)(a) permit to continue the fish rescue and rearing program until at least when California American Water (Cal-Am) will have ceased any unauthorized diversions and be in compliance with SWRCB WRO 95-10 and 2016-0016. Cal-Am has been recording counts of passing South Central California Coast, Distinct Population Segment Steelhead (S-CCC) at San Clemente Dam (SCD) and Los Padres Dams since the 1950’s. MPWMD has assisted them since 1994. MPWMD ran a DIDSON hydro-acoustic camera for three years in the lower river to replace the historic counts at SCD, which was removed in 2015, ending that historic data source. That method became infeasible due to the expansion of invasive Striped Bass expanding their use of the Carmel River, which cannot be distinguished hydro-acoustically from S-CCC. The purpose of this project is to install a weir (array of panels that spans the river) to collect the needed S-CCC data to comply with NOAA requirements and inform management of the species on the Carmel River.

IMPACTS ON STAFF AND RESOURCES: Several District staff will be involved in the project assisting with project management, inspections and permit compliance. The work will be performed under the direction of the Environmental Resources Manager with possible assistance from Larry Hampson.

EXHIBIT

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